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Lacy Abandoned Coal Mine Site Project  

Project Background

The State of Indiana, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Reclamation (IDNR-DOR), has proposed a pilot project to evaluate the use of a sulfate-reducing bioreactor system to address water quality concerns at the Lacy abandoned coal mine site (the Site) under the authority of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), in concert with the Hoosier National Forest (the Hoosier NF) and the Eastern Region of the United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service. 

The Lacy Site is an abandoned coal mine located in Martin County, two miles southeast of Shoals, Indiana, on the Hoosier NF, which exhibits acid mine drainage that is believed to constitute a release, or threat of release, of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant into the environment.    

Forest Service policy is to respond to releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants, or threats of such releases, under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). 

Unlike the vast majority of Forest Service projects, National Environmental Policy Act or “NEPA” analysis is not required for work conducted under CERCLA authority. 

A CERCLA Preliminary Assessment (P.A.) which contains available background information for the Site has been completed.  The P.A. includes information on site location, a site description, ownership and operator history, site and area geology, recent site characterization data and discussion, conclusions, and photos and maps. 

An initial CERCLA decision memo was completed for the Site in 2007, and a revised decision memorandum for the Site was signed by the Forest Service Regional Forester on March 13, 2008.  The decision memos authorize the State-proposed pilot project as a treatability study under Forest Service CERCLA authority.  All response actions will be consistent with the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, 40 C.F.R. Part 300.   

The treatability study is to run for 3 years.  If the treatability study is successful, further work may be conducted at the site; more importantly, the applicability of this technology to address acid mine drainage in the Illinois basin coal fields will have been demonstrated. 

To implement the project and allow the State to perform work on Federal lands, the IDNR-DOR and the Eastern Region of the Forest Service are entering into a unique Participating Agreement, and the Hoosier will issue a special use permit and authorization to the IDNR-DOR.   

The Forest Service initiated site clearing in March 2008, and IDNR is expected to begin project construction in the spring or summer of 2008. 

How to comment to the State

As required by SMCRA, IDNR-DOR is fulfilling their requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by ensuring there will be no adverse impact to the environment as a result of this proposed project.  IDNR-DOR has determined that a Categorical Exclusion is the appropriate NEPA document for this project.

The IDNR-DOR will accept written or electronic comments on the NEPA process for this project.

Please include the following information when commenting:

  • Title of the project (AML Site 863, Lacy)
  • Your name, address, telephone number, and organization represented if applicable
  • Specific concerns, facts, and supporting reasons regarding your comments

Written comments should be submitted to:

Mark Stacy, CEP

Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Division of Reclamation

Abandoned Mine Lands Program

RR 2 Box 129

Jasonville, IN  47438

            or

mstacy@dnr.IN.gov

How to comment to the Forest Service

Consistent with CERCLA community relations requirements, the Forest Service will make the CERCLA Site Administrative Record available to the public for review and comment at the Hoosier National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 811 Constitution Avenue, Bedford, Indiana in the near future.  Please note that CERCLA decisions are not subject to appeal; additionally, no federal, state, or local permits are required for on-site response actions conducted under CERCLA.

After the Administrative Record is made public, the Forest Service will accept written, oral, hand-delivered, facsimile, or electronic comments on this project.   

Please include the following information when commenting:

  • Title of the project (Lacy Abandoned Coal Mine Site CERCLA Project)
  • Your name, address, telephone number, and organization represented if applicable
  • Specific concerns, facts, and supporting reasons regarding your comments

Written comments should be submitted to:

            Hoosier National Forest

            Attn:  Lacy Abandoned Coal Mine Site CERCLA Project

            811 Constitution Avenue

Bedford, Indiana  47421

Submit oral and hand-delivered comments to the Forest Supervisor’s Office at the address above.  The office hours for those submitting oral or hand-delivered comments are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.  The phone number for the Supervisor’s Office is (812) 275-5987.  Comments may be submitted by facsimile to (812) 279-3423. 

Submit electronic comments in a format such as an e-mail message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), or Word (.doc) to comments-eastern-hoosier@fs.fed.us.  

Comments received, including the name and addresses of those who comment, become part of the CERCLA site administrative record for this project and will be available for public inspection.  The Forest Service response to substantive comments will also become part of the site administrative record. 

You may obtain additional information regarding this project from the Site Spokesperson: 

Ross Taylor, Team Leader, USDA-Forest Service, Hoosier National Forest, 811 Constitution Avenue, Bedford, Indiana 47421; telephone (812) 275-5987; e-mail at r9_hoosier_website@fs.fed.us

or from the CERCLA On-Scene Coordinator:  

            Tim Buxton, USDA-Forest Service, Eastern Region Abandoned Mine Lands Program Manager, c/o White Mountain National Forest, 300 Glen Road, Gorham, New Hampshire 03581; telephone (603) 466-2713 x 237; e-mail at tbuxton@fs.fed.us.

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For more information, contact us at r9 hoosier website@fs.fed.us

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