The Protectors of Mingo (POM), a community group in Washington County, continue to monitor the ongoing permitting process for the Ram #1 mine being proposed by Ramaco LLC, a mining company predominately based in the midwest. The proposed mine would be in Nottingham and Peters Townships near Mingo Creek County Park.
This campaign has been active for 6 years, with small wins along the way. Township officials met with residents years ago to place a set of restrictions on the mine designed to protect community members, drivers and their passengers through the area, and homeowners. Currently, POM are keeping an eye on developments in the permitting process. The California District Mining Office is considering Ramaco’s permit application and have issued numerous deficiency letters to the company. In response to the latest deficiency, Ramaco is testing to determine whether the old Mathies Mine – where they plan to discharge their wastewater – is capable of handling such a discharge. The results from that test are expected by the end of November 2018, at which point POM may have a better idea of whether a permit will or will not be issued – at this point, it is difficult to judge whether the Department will or will not grant a permit.
POM continues to meet monthly. If you are interested in attending a meeting, or if you want to know more about the campaign, please reach out to Sarah Martik at smartik@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org or 724-229-3550×1.
