Help protect Tennessee Waterways from proposed surface coal mining

Coal mining has long been associated with a variety of detrimental impacts on our waterways. These include the burial of streams, water pollution and the discharge of sediment into waterways that have already been very heavily impacted by mining.

Please submit your comments to oppose a water pollution discharge permit application for Hurricane Creek’s Surface Mine #2 operation in Claiborne County, Tennessee (NPDES # TN0070716).

The Threat to Our Watersheds

The proposed operation will discharge pollutants into Hurricane Creek, Valley Creek, and the upper reaches of the Clear Fork watershed. These areas are subject to a watershed cleanup plan known as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation should not issue a water pollution discharge permit to this mine until it can be demonstrated that the discharge can comply with the pollution load allocations for sediment outlined in the TMDL.

The Declining State of the Industry

Many of the mines within this watershed are no longer producing coal or even functionally operational any longer. We have recently learned a shocking statistic: 63% of coal mining permits in Tennessee are currently being considered for bond forfeiture. This means that these sites are no longer undergoing industry-led cleanup. Unreclaimed mine sites have an even greater risk of contributing to sediment pollution due to unchecked erosion issues. These functionally abandoned mines are also not doing their required monitoring which makes it challenging to even check for state compliance

Our Responsibility

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has a responsibility to protect our state’s natural resources and the health of its residents and its streams. Let’s protect our environment and ensure the health and safety of our communities. Take action NOW!