Expanded Coal Mining Means Jobs But Could Endanger Salamander
If Warrior Met Coal in Brookwood wins new federal coal land leases next week and expands its operations in Tuscaloosa County it will endanger the future of the Black Warrior Waterdog salamander found only in the Black Warrior River watershed. That is the opinion of the Black Warrior Riverkeeper (BWR).
Black Warrior Riverkeeper has already submitted their opposition to the leases which they claim will negatively impact the living environment for the Waterdog salamander and other species as well as drinking water and swimming water.
According to BWR the Waterdog, also known as the Alabama mudpuppy, was listed as an endangered species in 2018. Its critical habitat is the Sipsey Fork, Blackwater Creek, Locust Fork, and Yellow Creek in Tuscaloosa County.
In a press statement, BWR director Nelson Brooke claims the Waterdog and other various creatures that live in the Black Warrior River Basin depend on good water quality. “These feeder streams are incredibly diverse, it’s incredible how much biodiversity is there,” Brooke said. “Every one of these critters is very important to the ecosystem.”
Bidding for the 14,000 acres of land and potentially 53.2 million tons of coal is set for next Tuesday. The leases would nearly double Warrior Met Coal’s projected output and could lead to an estimated 425 new jobs at the Blue Creek Mine in northern Tuscaloosa County.
Besides adding millions of dollars in revenue for the mining company and Tuscaloosa County, it would also dramatically increase the volume of coal shipped abroad through the Port of Mobile. Alabama metallurgical coal shipped through the state docks in the port city is primarily sent to Europe, South American and Asia.
The leasing of the land is a result of President Trump's executive order designating coal as a mineral under an existing order intended to increase mineral production. Of concern to environmental groups like BWR is the administration's lifting of regulatory barriers and speeding up permitting for coal mining on federal lands.
Bidding for the leases to expand Mine No. 4 and Blue Creek Mine No. 1 will be held next Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the federal Bureau of Land Management’s Eastern States Office in Falls Church, Virgina.
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