Amfire Mining Co. to Open New Mine

Amfire Mining Co. to Open New Mine

The state Department of Environmental Protection has issued a permit to Amfire Mining Co. to open a new underground coal mine.

The permit allows the Latrobe, Pa.-based company to conduct mining in nearly 3,000 acres in Cresson Township, Cambria County, the DEP said in a statement Wednesday.

The site is estimated to contain coal deposits that could be mined for as long as 20 to 25 years. Officials have said it could create hundreds of jobs.

The company has three years to activate the permit and begin mining and must renew the permit every five years, the department said.

Amfire in November announced it would postpone the development of the Cresson Township mine because of low coal prices. But DEP spokesman Tom Rathbun told the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat the company would not likely spend time and money to continue the permit process if it did not plan to eventually open the mine.

The company could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Amfire began developing the Cresson mine two years ago. But the size of the proposed mine was nearly halved to 2,929 acres by the state over concerns about unleashing water that could increase the discharge from neighboring mines.

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