OSM NEWS
U.S. Department of the Interior    
Office of Surface Mining
For Release May 1, 1998  
Jerry Childress (202) 208-2719
jchildre@osmre.gov


OSM SEEKS COMMENTS ON FALL CREEK FALLS
SURFACE MINING UNSUITABILITY PETITION

     The U.S. Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining (OSM) has released for public
review and comment a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on a petition to designate land
within the watershed that includes the Fall Creek Falls State Park and Natural Area of Van Buren
and Bledsoe Counties, Tennessee, as unsuitable for surface coal mining.

     A notice of availability of the draft EIS was published in the Federal Register of May 1,
1998.

     OSM prepared the impact statement and detailed analysis, as required by the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), after being petitioned by Save Our Cumberland
Mountains, Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, and 49 individual citizens, to designate
the entire watershed and viewshed of the park unsuitable for surface mining operations.

     According to George C. Miller, Director of OSM's Knoxville Field Office, the draft
statement evaluates the potential coal resources of the area, the demand for coal resources, and
the impacts of alternative actions on the human environment, the economy, and the coal supply.

     Miller said that concerns raised in the petition primarily deal with disturbing the acid-
and/or toxic-producing zone in the shale that overlies the Sewanee coal seam, which is the
dominant seam of importance in the southern Tennessee coal fields. Past mining of the Sewanee
coal seam has in some cases resulted in the production of acid mine drainage (AMD) and caused
adverse water quality impacts to the receiving streams.

     "The petitioners contend that the technology does not currently exist to mine the Sewanee
coal seam and prevent AMD," Miller said. "They support their contention by referring to permits
issued to Skyline Coal Company by OSM which are now producing AMD."

     Consequently, Miller added, the petitioners conclude that mining the Sewanee seam in
the petition area without the technology to prevent AMD would result in adverse water quality
impacts to the surface water regime within Fall Creek Falls State Park, which in turn would
impact other natural resources and the socloeconomics of the park.

     OSM officials said that the draft impact statement was distributed to the petitioners,
interveners, federal, state, and local governments agencies, and other interested parties on April
24, 1998. Additionally, OSM mailed letters to about 1,800 landowners in the petition area to
notify them of the statement's availability, and to announce a public hearing to discuss the draft
EIS.

     The public hearing will be held at the Cumberland County High School Gymnasium in
Crossville, Tennessee, at 7:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, June 18, 1998.

     Persons wishing to speak at the hearing , who need special accommodations in order to
participate or attend, or who require additional information or copies of the impact statement,
should contact Beverly Brock, Office of Surface Mining, 530 Gay Street S.W., Suite 500,
Knoxville, TN 37902; telephone: (423) 545-4103; e-mail: bbrock@osmre.gov.

     "We are anticipating a large volume of comments," Miller said. "Although it will
not be able to acknowledge each one as it is received, all comments will be addressed
individually in the final EIS." Miller added that written comments can be submitted to
Brock at the address listed above until July 30, 1998.

-DOI-