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Name:	Dixie Drifter -	Reply
Subject:	COAL MINING ON SMITH LAKE
Date:	1/3/2010 11:10:42 AM

News has surfaced that a coal company wants to begin strip mining in and around the Brushy Pond community (approximately1436 acres) on Lewis Smith Lake. The only reason which makes any sense for considering such a destructive undertaking is simple, GREED! Apparently more than a few folks think this is a bad idea. The Cullman County Commission has scheduled a special meeting, open to the public to address the issue. The meeting as I understand it will take place Monday, January 4th. at 6:30 PM in the third floor courtroom, Cullman County Courthouse. I saw something mentioned on B'ham's Channel 42. WIAT-TV's "Wake Up Alabama" program is going to cover this topic on their Monday morning show.

Name:	watercruiser1214 -	Reply
Subject:	COAL MINING ON SMITH LAKE
Date:	1/3/2010 5:31:17 PM

Thanks DixieDrifter. I am glad someone is taking care of letting everyone know this news. I know forsure there is way to much money and power on our beautiful lake to over power this coal company. Why? That is my only question. Why destroy the lake water quality for simple greed?

Name:	Psycho -	Reply
Subject:	COAL MINING ON SMITH LAKE
Date:	1/3/2010 9:49:02 PM

Someone stripped a large erea just up from my place on the lake about 2 years ago. I was glad to see the employment in our erea.
I wasnt crazy about hearing the machines running...but it was no worse noise than new home construction. Another thing is they are under strict guide lines as to how close they can get to the lake or a creek. And settlement ponds catch any dirty run off.

I call it making money...you call it greed. In that case I must be greedy too. I really dont need a house this big...look at the trees cut down because of my greed. I really dont need a place on the lake...wow, look at how my greed is distroying the natural beauty of the lake. I really dont need to buy a new car so often. Gosh, I never thought about what a greedy person I am.
I think I will attack every big business and try to put them out of business...those greedy people!...Hmm...I wonder where the lazy bums will work then?

Myself, I do own some property and also own the mineral rights too. I hope if I ever get greedy, or hungry, and want to strip my property, some nutcase dont step in and tell me I'm just being greedy and I dont really need to eat so much. And I need to do what "he" wants me to do with my property....( By the way, I bought a piece of years ago with the plan of having it stripped
when I got ready to retire)..But according to you I guess thats just greed too...I shouldnt have planned ahead like that. And you and others should have total control of what I can do with my property. Sounds like you should move to Europe, from what I hear they do things you way.

Name:	watercruiser1214 -	Reply
Subject:	COAL MINING ON SMITH LAKE
Date:	1/3/2010 11:45:40 PM

Wow Pyscho, wanna lose that attitude?
It was our opinions so you don't have to get smart.
Anyway, I guess you want whatever dirt that strip mining brings into the lake. Alright then, oh and all your lazy bums an do something useful like hmm..picking up trash, working for the city, or maybe some productive that doesn't harm the rest of the environment. There is nothing wrong with strip mining, but not when it will effect something as valuable as Smith Lake.

Name:	Psycho -	Reply
Subject:	COAL MINING ON SMITH LAKE
Date:	1/4/2010 1:00:46 PM

Yup...I have to agree I wrote that with a bad attitude. Sorry about that. I should be smart enough to know that I cant get my
point across by ticking people off. The greed part hit a nerve. I've known several people that has had their land strip mined. Most of them were a average Joe and needed the money. The company doing the stripping is just a business. Sometimes they make lots of money, sometimes they go out of business from lack of money.

In the past stip mining sometimes did polute streams with run off.

But today that happening is slim to none...And when they are finished they do the reclaiming work is it looks really good.

Bottome line is that anyone should have the freedom to do what they want on their own land. That magnitude of loosing that freedom usually dont sink in until it happens to you.

INstead of trying to stop them from stripping, just take measures that there will be no water polution from the mine. Believe me, there are some stiff fines to be paid if they let anything harmful
get in the lake.

Again, I apologize for my first other post.

Name:	watercruiser1214 -	Reply
Subject:	COAL MINING ON SMITH LAKE
Date:	1/4/2010 1:54:13 PM

Psycho, thank you for the apology. Now that you say it like this I can apprehend the point your getting across now. I also agree that you have the freedom to do whatever you want with the property you own. I am just so very concerned with the mining affecting the quality of the lake water. However, if there was nothing that would affect the lake quality, a 100% fact, then i say have at it.

But I do not know all the whereabouts about what will take place if the striping is allowed. But I now see your point of view.

Name:	skimalibu -	Reply
Subject:	COAL MINING ON SMITH LAKE
Date:	1/4/2010 2:35:28 PM

The key here is the "stiff fine" portion of this deal. I conducted Erosion Control inspections in and around Atlanta a few years ago and it was clear that the developers considered erosion control to be a hassle and were willing to risk the consequences of not properly maintaining the measures once they were in place (there just weren't that many inspectors to go inspect every property being developed). The topography in some of those areas was similar to the topography around the lake, which made it very difficult to control the sediment runoff in a downpour or extended storm. One has the "right" to do what they want with their land until it affects someone else; tainting streams, rivers and eventually lakes does indeed affect others. With all of this said, if this does indeed pass and they are given a permit I sure hope that:

1. The erosion control plan is very well designed and is over the top in terms of capacity
2. The county inspectors are on this site regularly and following every storm
3. The fines imposed (and communicated prior to breaking ground) are such that failure to comply is not an option.
4. The mining company (I know nothing about these organizations) has a clear record of success and long term sustainability (last thing we need is someone walking away from cleared land).

Name:	Psycho -	Reply
Subject:	COAL MINING ON SMITH LAKE
Date:	1/4/2010 5:54:37 PM

Guess we all we can agree when I talk like a human. lol

I think we all want the best for our lakes and enviroment.
I dont think the stripping would have any effect on the lake...but that being said. I hope that everyone would keep a eye
out for anything polluting our lake and report it.

I never loose the appreciation for the clean clear water we
have on smith lake. I always brag about it, and feel we are very lucky. I plan to live on the lake for the rest of my years.

Name:	watercruiser1214 -	Reply
Subject:	COAL MINING ON SMITH LAKE
Date:	1/4/2010 10:49:46 PM

I deffinatley agree on that one. I also plan on living on the lake, in fact I'm in the process of building a new house. I would just hate to see the lake harmed in any way.

Name:	Bondem -	Reply
Subject:	COAL MINING ON SMITH LAKE
Date:	1/5/2010 7:59:54 AM

I believe that anybody doing strip mining must post a sufficient surety bond requiring them to comply with all the regulations and erosion control AND putting the property back in the condition they found it before the mining (less the minerals taken out). If they walk, the surety bond pays to finish the reclamation.

Name:	skimalibu -	Reply
Subject:	COAL MINING ON SMITH LAKE
Date:	1/7/2010 8:26:24 PM

Thanks for the info; I don't know much about this coal mining stuff. I am not sure I think they ever make the land look as good; pine trees don't match hardwoods.

Name:	Dixie Drifter -	Reply
Subject:	COAL MINING ON SMITH LAKE
Date:	1/11/2010 11:35:32 AM

Many good points have been shared and discussed here on the Forum. Communication is key when helping educate one another. I share with you a few important facts to ponder.

The coal company's permit P-3939 as submitted to the Alabama Surface Mining Commission, is incomplete. Numerous pieces of information which were required to be submitted as part of the application are non-existent. The coal company simply indicates these omissions are "pending".

Consider this analogy, you want to purchase a house, the lender requests financial information to assess your credit worthiness, your response, my financial statement is pending but go ahead and process my loan application anyway. This in essence is what the coal company is asking. Give us the permit and we will then "fill in the blanks".

Of the fifty some landowners whose property is included in the proposed 1436 acre strip mine project, only three of these owners have actually signed a lease with the coal company. The coal company's submitted data on the permit application indicates that all property leases are "pending". No blasting plan exists with this permit application, where is it? The number of sediment retention ponds fluctuates depending on which map you have access to. Make your own decisions, should we allow a coal company who has been less that forthright with the process thus far, mine coal on the shores of Smith Lake? In this case making a judgment based on one's actions rather than relying on future promises will expose the true intent of this proposed venture.

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