state withdraws decision to renew permit

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/7beb71e198a74b13b40a09b670dd77e3/AK--Coal-Mine/

ANCHORAGE, Alaska ? A state agency withdrew a decision to renew a permit to develop a coal mine near Chickaloon after finding that it needed to respond to comment from Alaska Natives, who have spent more than $1 million restoring salmon streams damaged by decades of coal mining.

The Chickaloon Village Traditional Council is among several groups opposed to a resumption of coal mining operations north of Palmer near streams and creeks that feed the Matanuska River.

The council appealed a renewal permit granted by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources allowing Ranger Alaska, LLC of Golden, Colo., to operate a surface strip and underground coal mine.

Geoffrey Stauffer, the lawyer representing the Chickaloon tribe, said Wednesday that DNR failed to adequately respond to public comments about the mine. The council also says the state should have required Ranger Alaska to apply for a new permit, which would have required a new look at the project, including all the work the tribe has done to restore salmon streams damaged by past mining, he said.

"We think there is a lot of information that is just missing," Stauffer said.

The tribe was happy that the decision was withdrawn and hopes that DNR now will "fully take our concerns into account in the future when considering coal developments in sensitive and traditional tribal areas," said Traditional Chief Gary Harrison.

Russell Kirkham, manager of DNR's coal regulatory program, said the agency has been responsive to community concerns about the project.

"We are doing our best to address the concerns of the community and meet with the community as much as possible," he said. Those efforts included a visit by DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan to Chickaloon earlier this year, he said.

Stauffer said the tribe has spent more than $1.2 million since 2002 restoring salmon streams damaged by previous coal mining dating back to the early 1900s when the Navy led an effort to mine coal to fuel the Pacific Fleet during World War 1. Small scale mining continued into the 1960s, he said.

"It brought in disease, a lot of health problems ? the same problems the community is dealing with now," he said. "The mines in this region really did a lot of damage."