Center for Biological DiversityProtecting endangered species and wild
places of western North America |
NEWS RELEASE: August
16, 2001 FENCE LAKE MINE PERMIT RENEWAL APPEALED SALT RIVER PROJECT WANTS COAL FOR CORONADO GENERATING FACILITY The Center for Biological
Diversity (CBD) has appealed the state of New Mexico Mining and Minerals
Division's (MMD) recent approval of Salt River Project's (SRP) permit
renewal application for the Fence Lake Mine. SRP plans to mine more than
80 million tons of coal on 18,000 acres in northern Catron and southern
Cibola counties at Fence Lake, shipping the coal by railroad 44 miles
to its Coronado Generating Plant near St. Johns, Arizona. MMD first issued
a five year permit for the Mine in July 1996, and the recent renewal grants
SRP a three year extension following federal approval of the Mine by the
Secretary of Interior. The Pueblo of Zuni has filed a separate appeal
of MMD's permit renewal. The permit renewal granted by MMD contains several "special conditions," including a requirement that SRP must demonstrate that the Zuni Salt Lake will be protected from potential hydrologic impacts prior to use of the Dakota Aquifer for mining purposes. SRP must make this demonstration by initiating a pumping test within one year. CBD feels that this demonstration should be made before the permit is renewed, rather than MMD granting a conditional permit. "The state of
New Mexico should absolutely ensure that the Zuni Salt Lake is protected
before renewing its permit to the Salt River Project," stated Brian
Segee with CBD. "SRP had $3 billion in revenues in 2000. If the Fence
Lake Mine truly won't harm Zuni Salt Lake, they can certainly afford to
prove it." (end) |