By Trent Moore
The Cullman Times
BREMEN — Marty Roberson does not want his neighborhood to be overrun with mining trucks, or to have the echo of blast charges rattle through his Smith Lake home.
Roberson, and more than 60 other concerned residents, met in the Bremen community recently to oppose permit requests by National Coal of Alabama to establish a surface mining operation in the Brushy Pond community.
“Anyone who believes Smith Lake is going to benefit from this isn’t thinking clearly,” Roberson said. “I live on this lake and brought my family up here ... We’re not going to stop surface mining, but we don’t have to have it here.”
National Coal of Alabama has recently applied for a mining permit from the Alabama Surface Mining Commission.
The company also applied for an Alabama Department of Environmental Management permit for proposed discharges resulting from storm water runoff from a surface coal mine to unnamed tributaries to Coon Creek, Ryan Creek and Alder Branch in 2008.
Both permits are still pending.
If approved, mining operations at the Cullman site will include strip mining. Strip mining is the practice of mining a stream of mineral by first removing a long strip of overlying soil and rock.
Of the 50 land owners who would be affected by a mining operation, only three have signed leases to allow mining on their land.
Smith Lake Environmental Preservation Committee member Eddie Hand said he is encouraging all lake residents and concerned citizens to contact the Alabama Surface Mining Commission to express their opinion on the matter.
“Everyone needs to contact the commission and ADEM and let them know we don’t want this to happen,” he said. “We are going to request a public hearing so we can have our voices heard. Not here — we don’t want [a mine] here for the health and safety of our community.”
Nelson Brooke, with the non-profit Black Warrior Riverkeepers, said a new coal mine in the area would have an adverse affect on the community.
“Public safety would be an issue with coal trucks running on the local roads and the quality of life would be affected by the noise and dust kicked up by mining,” he said. “The nuisance from the blasting would also be a factor.”
State House Representative James Fields said he would work to stop the mine from being permitted.
“We have to approach the surface mining commission and see what we can do,” he said.
Cullman County Commissioner Wayne Willingham said he also opposes the mining operation and would do everything in his power to help prevent it.
“We can restrict the weight allowed on the roads, to keep the coal trucks from going up and down them,” he said. “It’s a matter of safety, because we don’t want coal trucks flying up and down County Road 222.”
Approximately 14 primary roads could be affected by potential coal mine traffic, according to Smith Lake Environmental Preservation Committee Chairman Deb Berry.
Alabama Surface Mining Commission Director Dr. Randall Johnson said his office has already received a request for a public meeting, though a potential date has not been set.
Johnson said it is hard to predict exactly when a decision will be made regarding the permit.
“It can take anywhere from 60 days to much longer to get it to the issuance or denial stage,” he said.
The Times contacted National Coal of Alabama on Tuesday, but no one with authority to comment on the matter was available by press time.
Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 225.
