Smith Lake Topics: Coal Mining at Smith Lake!!!!!

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	Name:	turnipgreen -
	Subject:	Coal Mining at Smith Lake!!!!!
	Date:	9/10/2008 4:40:51 PM

I'm torn on this.

I actually think they did a pretty good job reclaiming the land down 201/202, but I didn't see it more than 4 years ago, so maybe it had been bad for a while. Just because it is pasture doesn't mean it isn't useful, it usually just means that is what the owner decided to do with it.

Also, it is pretty hard for most of us to criticize muddy water runoff as a major sin, since there seems to be no control over runoff from land clearing on the lake edge for new home development, and I've seen some that have caused a ton of runoff.

Now, knowing that some mining projects probably violate the rules knowing that it won't cost much is a problem. Seems like stiffer fines should be in place. But if there is a way to mine the coal and not cause damage to the local environment, it is reclaimed properly, and the land owners want to allow it, I guess I don't see the problem.

Ron (and no, I don't work for Alabama Power, or a coal mine, although my sister does work for Alabama Power, and my dad was a coal miner that retired 20 years ago)