To: Members, Non-Members and Clean Trout Water Support!
Our office has been contacted with questions about how to express concerns regarding the recently advertised mining permit application for activity to occur under Yellow Creek State Park property.
I have been in contact with DEP, and their staff have advised on how to proceed with submitting formal objections and what the process will look like at is moves forward. This is important and time sensitive information, and I encourage you to share it with any interested individuals or organizations who have any concerns about the activity.
Permit applications are required by law to be advertised once weekly for four consecutive weeks. That process has already begun. Concerns must be submitted in writing no later than 30 days after the last required advertisement date. In this case, the last required advertisement date will be June 8th, which gives individuals until July 8th to submit concerns in writing to the following:
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) District Mining Operations
25 Technology Drive
California Technology Park
Coal Center, PA 15423
ATTN: Troy Williams
**Correspondence must contain name, address, telephone number, and a brief statement as to the nature of the concern/objection.
***PLEASE NOTE – an informal conference may also be requested in this correspondence. If an informal conference is requested, the result will be a public meeting format that will be open to the public during which DEP staff, mining company staff, and members of the community can attend and ask questions and have a dialog. This process can answer many questions, is fully documented by DEP, and any outstanding concerns will be addressed, as well. Attending the informal conference does not require an individual to speak, but comments can be made if desired. It is an opportunity to open up a more public dialog. Further, any objections/concerns collected during this timeframe, and their responses/answers given by DEP staff and mining company representatives, will be compiled and taken into consideration by weighing the harms and benefits of the potential permit issuance. In other words, input given does receive due consideration on whether or not a permit is issued, or perhaps a conditional permit might be issued. Note that someone must request this informal conference in writing before July 8th for it to occur.
For your information, a copy of the public notice is below.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have further questions.
Best,
Adriene
Adriene Smochek
District Manager
Representative Jim Struzzi
Indiana District Office l 550 Philadelphia Street l Indiana, PA 15701
(724) 465-0220
