MOUNT CARMEL, Ill. — Illinois Department of Natural Resources has approved an application by Gibson County Coal allowing the expansion of the ongoing underground coal mining operations at the Gibson Mine into Wabash County.
IDNR Director of Communications Ed Cross confirmed last week that the application from Gibson County Coal is approved.
The original application was delivered to the IDNR in February, 2015 requesting a "shadow area permit" and seeking approval to mine under 3,214 acres of shadow area north and south of Mount Carmel, but not within city limits.
According to the application, the proposed permit would allow expansion of Gibson Mine's current underground mining operations in Gibson and Knox Counties in Indiana to progress under the Wabash River into Illinois.
It was noted in the application that the permit is only for shadow area mining, as no surface disturbance of facilities are being proposed. "Coal removed by the mining operations will be transported underground through the mine workings and brought to the surface at the mine's existing surface facilities in Gibson County for processing and shipment," according to the application.
Representatives of Alliance Coal, which owns Gibson County Coal, explained the project at a public hearing May 24. Spokesman Brian Cantrell said at that hearing that the plans call for accessing two sites in Wabash County, south of Mount Carmel,and north east of Mount Carmel. Both sites are located outside of the city limits. The north end will be 1,300 acres and the south side area is 1,900 acres.
According to the plans as explained by Cantrell, the company still has mining in Knox County to complete. "We would move west and mine underneath the Wabash River, mine the area to the north of Mount Camel and then come down and mine on the south side of Mount Carmel," he reported at the hearing.
During the hearing, Mount Carmel city officials and a resident had questions about the mining's impact on water wells, oil wells and other environmental issues. Mine representatives addressed the questions about the water supply and oil wells, and noted the local operation uses a room-and-pillar, not long-wall mining technique, to prevent subsidence.
The company applied for a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers in November, 2013 to mine under the White River into Knox County, and at that time they also requested permits to mine under the Wabash River.
The coal company's Gibson North mine has two portals, at the original plant just east of Lyles Station, and another portal northwest of Lyles Station. The Gibson North mine was idled in 2016, although it is still maintained by underground crews regularly. The new Gibson South Mine near Owenville is in operation.
Efforts to obtain comment on the permit and the mine plans from the coal company were not immediately successful.