CHARLESTON, W.Va., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Kanawha Circuit Court yesterday upheld the decision of the West Virginia Surface Mine Board that permits Goals Coal Company to construct an additional coal silo at its facility. Goals Coal is a subsidiary of Massey Energy Company .
The Surface Mine Board ruled in March that there was no legal basis for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to deny Goals Coal's permit for the new silo. The DEP had appealed that decision.
"The ruling of the circuit court means that we can continue our efforts to further improve environmental performance at the site," said Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship. "However, given the concern that this case generated in the community, we will not construct the silo until we have met with the governor's office and with officials from Marsh Fork Elementary School. Our objective will be to get their input and to better explain the environmental benefits of the silo."
This permit will allow Goals to complete yet another environmental improvement at the Goals facility. The silo will allow Goals to encapsulate coal that is currently stored on the ground in open-air stockpiles and thereby reduce dust in the air.
The court noted in its ruling that by building the second silo at Goals Coal, Massey is attempting to replace open storage sites, "thereby reducing the amount of dust produced."
Since acquiring the 1970s-era facility in 1994, Massey Energy has initiated a number of improvements, including the elimination of a thermal dryer at the preparation plant (a source of air emissions) and the installation of haulage belts to remove the presence of trucks near the school, consistent with Massey's operations practice in other Central Appalachian communities.
Company Description
Massey Energy Company, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, is the fourth largest coal producer by revenue in the United States.
