The goal of this exercise was for North American Coal Corporation – Camino Real Fuels, LLC (CRF) to present the regulation governing the coal mine permitting process and what measures are taken to protect the soil, water, air and biodiversity.
The two main state agencies that review and approve the mining permits are Texas Commission on Environment Quality (TCEQ) and Railroad Commission of Texas (RCT). The first step in obtaining a RCT mining permit starts with baseline data collection for the proposed permit area. Cultural Resource assessments are completed for the permit area and submitted to the Texas Historic Commission (THC) for concurrence. Groundwater monitoring wells are installed throughout the permit area to determine what the pre-mine groundwater flows and qualities are. Surface water sampling locations are placed in specific locations for collecting representative water samples for each of the major watersheds. Baseline soil samples are collected in each of the soil series that are mapped by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). This data is used to verify the pre-mine soil quality. Fish and Wildlife surveys are performed by collecting an inventory of the flora and fauna.
Construction Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), Industrial SWPPP and Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) permits are obtained from the TCEQ. These permits are to regulate best management practices used on the site and water discharges. The TCEQ sets the parameter limits that the water must meet before it is discharged.
CRF presented their Threatened & Endangered Species Protection Plan, which was developed through Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). In addition, CRF worked with the USFWS to develop an Elm Creek Protection Plan.
Air Monitoring Stations are placed throughout the site to analyze the quality, wind flow direction, barometer pressure, also ambient temperature. The air monitors collect data for 24 hours, every 6 days. A meteorological station is set up to collect data every 15 minutes.
Once the coal has been removed, a Reclamation Plan is then followed. This plan (or timeline) is used to set goals to accomplish final bond release. The post-mine conditions are monitored over a period of 10 years and are compared with the baseline conditions. Once CRF demonstrates that the reclaimed land is as good as or better than the pre-mining conditions, they can apply for final bond release. The bond release process is part of the RCT permit.
As pointed out by the professional representing the CRF, it has complied with all regulatory criteria.