Judge Halts Mining Under Kent Run Inside Ryerson Station State Park

The Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (EHB) filed an order in late December to temporarily prevent longwall mining within 500 feet of Kent Run in Ryerson Station State Park while an appeal filed by the Sierra Club and Center for Coalfield Justice (CCJ) is being considered. The appeal comes after the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a permit to Consol Pennsylvania Coal Company (Consol) earlier in the month allowing the company to perform extensive and destructive longwall mining beneath the surface of two streams – Polen Run and Kent Run – portions of which are within the Park.

The permit was issued despite the fact that the application filed by Consol predicts significant damage, notably subsidence and flow loss, to these streams. Since Consol’s destruction of Duke Lake via mining activity over ten years ago, conservationists argue these two streams are some of the most important remaining water features and fishing spots in the park.

In response, Tom Schuster, Senior Campaign Representative for Pennsylvania at the Sierra Club and Patrick Grenter, Executive Director of the Center for Coalfield Justice issued the following statements:

“We are grateful to Judge Beckman for granting temporary protection to Kent Run from the destructive damage of longwall mining while we await the imminent decision from the Environmental Hearing Board on the legality of Consol’s mining practices,” Schuster said. “It’s hard to believe the state has allowed mining to begin with the understanding that the expected damage to streams could well be deemed illegal in a little over a month.”

“Yesterday afternoon, we visited a section of Polen Run just outside the park that was undermined immediately after this permit was issued,” Grenter said. “It was an infuriating scene, as there was barely any water left in the stream bed even as nearby streams are swollen with the recent rain.  There were heaves and cracks in the rock and we watched the water disappearing underground.  It’s an absolute shame that this was allowed to happen, but it highlights the importance of the judge’s action today to protect a stream inside the park from the same fate.”