Sunrise Coal Company’s proposed Bulldog Mine in southwestern Vermilion County is moving closer to reality. But a grassroots citizen group is vowing it will continue its efforts to stop it.
In September, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources requested payment of the application fee and reclamation bond – indicating it had accepted modifications that Sunrise was requested to make on its plans.
The opposing group – Stand Up to Coal – says it expects IDNR will issue the mining permit. But the group vows its fight will not end there.
Once a permit is issued the public will be given 30 days to request an administrative review. Results from the review could require further modification, or the application could be approved or thrown out.
The Terre Haute based coal company earlier purchased 400 acres of land for surface facilities and leased over 19-thousand acres for its proposed Bulldog Coal Mine near Allerton. The company had originally wanted to start its mining operations in 2014.
Sunrise said earlier that the mine would create 300 permanent jobs with an average salary of $76-thousand dollars, plus health care and other fringe benefits. A study conducted earlier by Northern Illinois University said there would also be indirect employment from the mine in areas including food service, wholesale trade, architectural, engineering, health care, transportation, real estate and others.
Stand Up to Coal has already hired legal counsel to help navigate the administrative review process according to a statement from the group.
