The Illinois Department of Natural Resources denied Springfield Coal Company’s application to renew its surface coal mining permit at the Industry mine.
The DNR said the company has not submitted all the information required.
In a summary of the decision, the DNR wrote:
(T)he Department conducted a midterm review of Permit No. 16. As part of that review, the bond was recalculated and it was determined that an additional $1,134,870.00 in bond was required for the permit. Springfield Coal was required to submit the additional bond within 90 days of the date of the midterm review. Subsequent extensions were granted to Springfield Coal to either submit the required additional bond or complete reclamation sufficient to equal that amount of bond by July 31, 2014.
“Because the renewal date fell prior to the extension granted, the Department informed Springfield Coal by phone on several occasions that the additional bond or completed reclamation work was required by May 7, 2014, (emphasis added by DNR) the date Renewal No. 5 to Permit No. 16 was to expire. The required additional bond was not submitted and the additional reclamation was not accomplished by that date.”
The DNR said a request to hold a hearing to contest the decision can be submitted in writing within 30 days.
The same coal mine operators also want to open mines near Canton in Fulton County and near Littleton in Schuyler County.
