“We consider being a good steward of the environment as one of the most important obligations we have,” Fredriksen said. “To be honored by the state of Virginia for our efforts further validates our commitment to our core value of compliance, and our recognition that our responsibilities go beyond those required by statutory obligations.”
Charlie Bauguess, manager of closed operations for CONSOL Energy, noted that one of things of which he is most proud of in conjunction with the E-2 site award is that an adjacent stocked trout stream was protected during mining and reclamation. “The reclamation we conducted on E-2 is proof positive that industry and the environment can and do co-exist,” Bauguess said. “Design and implementation of our reclamation plans oftentimes serves to not only protect wildlife and fish habitat, but to enhance it. As a fisherman, I am especially pleased to see in our reclamation of E-2 that a state trout stream was protected and enhanced through a reduction in sediment to that basin.”
The E-2 site reclamation consisted of the Dismal Creek E-2A portals, fill F-1 and the Mine Rock Fill. CONSOL had an alternate material topsoil variance and implemented a post-mining land use of unmanaged forest on the site. The portals site was approved to operate within the buffer zone of Dismal Creek. While reducing sediment to a stocked trout stream, Consolidation Coal achieved a productive forest on breaker rock fill using current Forest Reclamation Approach Guidelines. DMLR released the permit in March 2011.
