Wildcat Hills Complex

The Wildcat Hills Mining Complex consists of a non-union surface and underground mine in Gallatin and Saline counties in Southern Illinois, operated by Arclar Coal Company and owned by parent company Peabody Energy. Peabody began shipping coal in 1997 from the mine's Eagle Valley Pit. The Cottage Grove Pit was opened in 2000. The Complex operates seven days a week year round, and sold 3 million tons of coal to electricity generating customers in 2008. The Wildcat Hills underground operation started producing coal in March of 2006, and currently consists of one unit. Peabody is debating the addition of a second unit, which would increase the tonnage output of the mine to approximately 1.6 million tons. Raw coal is transported by truck to the Willow Lake Preparation Plant for processing before being shipped primarily by barge down the Ohio River to a variety of utility plants. All coal from the Wildcat Hills Complex is currently being mined from the Cottage Grove Pit.

Mining Expansion
In late November 2009, Arclar Coal Company received two permits, one for water quality certification and one for discharge, allowing mining to expand on 668 acres at the Wildcat Hills mine. Two hearings - one for each permit - were held on Sept. 29 and Oct. 14, 2009, and environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network, and the Environmental Law and Policy Center raised objections to the expansion. However, the Illinois Environmental Protection agency approved the permits.

Mine Data

 * Owner: Arclar Coal Company
 * Parent company: Peabody Energy
 * Location: 1755 Kedron Rd, Equality, IL 62934
 * GPS coordinates: 37.67594, -88.342352
 * Production: 3 million tons (2008)
 * Type of coal: Medium sulfur
 * Mine type: Surface/Underground
 * Equipment: Truck, shovel, tractor
 * Number of employees: 150 (surface) and 80 (underground)
 * Recoverable Reserves: 37 million tons

Articles and resources
The Illinois Coal Industry Statutory Mandated Report 2008 an industry report containing information on Illinois mines.

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