Sycamore Mine

Sycamore Mine is a surface coal mining operation in Boone County, West Virginia, operated by Maple Coal Co. and owned by Canadian coal producer Western Coal.

In January 2011, three environmental groups - the Sierra Club, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and West Virginia Highlands Conservancy - filed a federal lawsuit accusing Maple Coal Co. of illegally allowing excess selenium to pollute a pair of creeks straddling parts of Kanawha and Fayette counties. The lawsuit also accuses the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection of failing to adequately enforce selenium limits at the mine. The DEP has sued Maple in state court over discharges at the mine, but the plaintiffs say the DEP suit was actually designed to give Maple more time before it must comply with selenium limits, instead of forcing the company to clean up discharges immediately.

Selenium is a heavy metal that surface mining can unearth and release into waterways. Studies have found it's toxic to aquatic life and, in humans, high-level exposure can damage the kidneys, liver, and central nervous and circulatory systems. The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring Maple to stop discharging excess selenium, civil fines for violations in 2010 and lawyers fees.

Mine Data

 * MSHA ID:
 * Operator: Maple Coal
 * Controller: Western Coal
 * Union:
 * County:	Kanawha and Fayette counties
 * State:	WV
 * Latitude:
 * Longitude:
 * 2007 Production (short tons):	240,000
 * Coal Type:
 * Mining Method:	Surface
 * Mine Status:	Active
 * Average No. of Employees:	 30

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