How much does it cost to buy a mining permit in Utah?
Posted February 4, 2010 in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
About ten thousand dollars, according to this AP exposé published yesterday. That’s how much Alton Mine Development, LLC contributed to Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s campaign just before meeting with him to expedite approval of a controversial coal mine near Bryce Canyon National Park. In fact, Alton’s check was cashed the very day they met.
It could wind up being quite a sound investment by Alton if cooler heads don’t prevail in Utah. The permit in question was fast-tracked and approved by the state Board of Mining less than a month after the company’s meeting with the governor.
So will a little cash smooth the bumpy road that Alton faces as it attempts to tear up land just over the hill from one of America’s premiere national parks?Residents and business owners near the proposed mine site in Panguitch, UT have long opposed the planned Alton mine, citing the effects of noise, highways full of coal trucks, coal dust, and waste on Bryce Canyon and the local tourist industry. And now, NRDC, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Sierra Club, and the National Parks Conservation Association are appealing the permit approval.
Unfortunately, if Alton succeeds, its $10,000 will not only grease the wheels for this one mining permit on private land. The impact of the permit approval could be much larger. The company also has its eye on adjacent public land, even closer to Bryce Canyon NP. The Alton mine, if developed, would be the first strip mine in Utah and could well open the door to even more. But maybe that costs more in Utah?
It’s not too late for the Utah Board of Oil, Gas, and Mining to reverse the Alton mine permit approval. If local people and common sense speak any louder than money, they’ll make the right decision.
