Former workers of an Alcoa owned Surface Coal Mine in SW Indiana are urging concerned citizens of Warrick County and the Lower Ohio River Valley to attend a meeting at the Boonville, Indiana Library this July 25th 2011. Those in attendance at the Library are expected to voice concerns over the area known as the former Squaw Creek Mine.

Large areas close to the permit renewal in question have been a center of controversy for many years because ALCOA dumped over 69 million gallons of coal tar pitch and 7.4 million cubic feet of chromium sludge along with thousands of tons spent pot lining in the area. The waste was generated by ALCOA from its Warrick Operations for over a decade. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has agreed that toxic waste is in contact with subsurface water near the permit renewal in question. The permit is currently held by Vigo Coal Company and called Range line Mine.

ALCOA, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources do not dispute that the dumping occurred. Former miners and local residents who once recreated on the land have reported ill adverse health effects and unusual cancers, as well as strange abnormalities on fish and animals. Former miners have stated that the dumping also occurred in areas outside of what has been acknowledged by ALCOA.

IDEM and ALCOA investigations have revealed areas of toxic waste resurfacing several times. Also leeching of waste has occurred, requiring Alcoa to recently put environmental restrictive covenants on areas that were in the past deemed safe by ALCOA and IDEM and DNR.

Mr Bil Musgrave said that “We just want to ensure the safest environment for the citizens, employees, fish and wildlife and all others affected by the possible mining or processing of coal or coal slurry in the Range Line Mine. Additional mining of the area can cause water in contact with the toxic waste to migrate to the lowest point. This could contaminate coal that would be processed and burned in Warrick County. The processed coal is never tested for contamination of chemicals that were in the toxic waste dumped by ALCOA. This is a very unique and unfortunate situation in Warrick County. It cannot be addressed by normal protocol, it warrants additional safeguards.”