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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The Hollidaysburg Water Authority agreed to amend a potential agreement with RES Coal to "make clear" that no mining would be done on borough land near the Muleshoe Reservoir, Treasurer James Fitch said.
The Muleshoe Reservoir, located between Cresson and Foot of Ten off old state Route 22, is Hollidaysburg's main water supply. The proposed mine would encompass 128 acres, the land surface of which is owned by the state Game Commission while the mineral rights are owned by Hollidaysburg Borough.
The proposed project initially included another 21.1 acres of land, of which Hollidaysburg owns both the surface and mineral rights. With the amendment to the potential agreement, those acres will not be a part of the proposed mine.
"There will be no mining on borough land," Authority Chair Carol Gale said after its meeting on Tuesday.
Gale said that the authority is "looking into" its options regarding the other 128 acres.
Mining that coal would require the approval by the water authority, the Game Commission and state Department of Environmental Protection. The Game Commission and the DEP have not provided any updates on where they stand on the matter.
If everything went to plan, the project would wrap up in the 2040s, with mining taking about 10 years and land reclamation adding on another five years.
Hollidaysburg Director of Community Facilities and Water Operations Rick Pope has previously said that the authority's main concern is maintaining the watershed.
If the mining is undertaken, the authority -- not the borough -- would receive the proceeds.
"Our main mission is to protect the watershed," Gale said.
Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.