Kemper County Mine

Kemper County Mine is a proposed surface mine for Kemper County, Mississippi. A permit application was filed by Liberty Fuels Co. LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of North American Coal Corporation. The mine would supply Mississippi Power Company's generating plant in Kemper County, the Kemper Project, expected to be in operation in 2014. It would be the largest coal mine in Mississippi.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality will hold a public hearing in DeKalb on Oct. 18, 2011 on the application. The application calls for Liberty Fuels to mine 2 million tons of lignite per year during the first five-year permit. Thereafter, it will mine 4.1 million tons per year through 2052. The application provides that mining will be conducted on 31,000 acres over 40 years and will include 2,229 acres within the five-year permit area.

On June 12, 2012, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality gave final approval for Liberty Fuels to mine lignite from about 1,000 acres in Kemper County. Liberty Fuels will mine 2 million tons of lignite per year during the first five-year permit. Thereafter, it will mine 4.1 million tons per year through 2052. Mississippi Power will own the mine and equipment, contracting with Liberty Fuels to run it. Documents submitted to the Public Service Commission show that the mine is on track to cost $245 million.

Mine Data

 * Owner: Liberty Fuels
 * Parent company: North American Coal Corporation
 * Location: Kemper County, MS
 * GPS coordinates:
 * Production:
 * Type of coal: Lignite
 * Mine type: Surface
 * Equipment:
 * Number of employees:
 * Recoverable Reserves:

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