A proposed coal mine on the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River has prompted a group of “concerned citizens” to hold a meeting about the facility and set up a web site. The mine, a project of MCoal Corporation, would be located on a 3,200-acre site in Blount County, near the small town of Rosa.
MCoal has filed permit applications for the facility, known as the Rosa Coal Mine Project, with the Alabama Surface Mining Commission (ASMC) and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). The ASMC permit process calls for public comment in the form of letters. A group of citizens concerned about the mine held a meeting at the Rosa, Ala. Fire Department on Monday, and urged others to send letters to the ASMC by the deadline, Aug. 1.
Coal mines produce heavy metals and other pollution that can contaminate drinking water and harm wildlife. The proposed MCoal facility would be located on the Black Warrior River watershed. According to the website for Black Warrior Riverkeeper, a non-profit which works to protect the Black Warrior River, the Black Warrior River watershed encompasses 16,000 miles of mapped water and provides drinking water for major cities such as Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, and Blount County as well.
A sparse but informative website has been set up to disperse information regarding the mine. Check out www.rosamine.org to take action, or visit www.blackwarriorriverkeeper.com for more.
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