Powerful state and local interests supported the Red Hills Project citing economic and employment benefits for the county. In contrast, the National Park Service raised concerns about potential impacts to aesthetic and physical resources along the parkway, specifically natural-landscape vistas, night sky, natural soundscape, air quality, water quality and quantity (including flow patterns), and aquatic life. However, through the collaboration of the NPS Natural Resource Program Center, Southeast Regional Office, and Natchez Trace Parkway and a cooperative relationship with Mississippi Lignite and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, the Park Service gained significant permanent changes to the proposed mining operations. These changes not only would protect parkway resources, but would also help avoid triggering a portion of the Mississippi State surface coal-mining law. Had it been triggered, the law would have required “joint approval" by the NPS Director and the state permitting agency for the project to be permitted—a potentially difficult situation for all parties involved. As a result of this cooperation, a large-scale mine and power plant operation will be developed with minimal impacts on the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Impacts upon aesthetic resources were mitigated through an important agreement and major monetary and logistical concessions by Mississippi Lignite to forgo the future mining of several planned open pits. The pits were to be located immediately east of the Jeff Busby Developed Area and Little Mountain Overlook, both popular attractions at the parkway. This area is home to one of three campgrounds in the parkway and features some of the darkest night skies in the southeastern United States.
Concerns over possible air quality impacts were addressed through an exhaustive examination of predicted pollution sources and power plant control technology. National Park Service air quality experts communicated their findings and recommendations to power plant design engineers for their consideration in increasing the effectiveness of pollution control equipment on the plant.
Negotiations between the Park Service and Mississippi Lignite brought about mitigation of several potential disturbances to water resources. The Park Service was concerned that water quality, quantity, and aquatic life could be impacted because two streams flow through and adjacent to the area of the project before reaching the parkway. Although the mining company had provided baseline data on water quality and quantity as required in their permit, and had proposed to gather additional data during the life of the mine, both sets of information were insufficient. Negotiations resulted in an agreement that the mining company will increase its monitoring of stream water quality, install new gauging stations along streams flowing through the parkway, construct new monitoring wells to measure groundwater quality and its contribution to stream flow, and study stream biology. Mississippi Lignite will regularly report its findings to the National Park Service and if adverse impacts are discovered, it will work with the Park Service toward mitigation.
The National Park Service is pleased with the cooperation it received from Mississippi Lignite and the State of Mississippi to protect parkway resources. The inter-disciplinary approach within the National Park Service among parkway and technical resource specialists also proved successful. The negotiations avoided potentially adversarial relationships among the many parties that could have lasted for years and may not have adequately protected park resources. Instead, cooperation led to an outcome that was acceptable to all.
Photo Credit: NPS Water Resorources Division, Leslie Krueger
kerry_moss@nps.gov
Environmental Protection Specialist, NPS Geologic Resources Division; Natural Resource Program Center, Lakewood, Colorado
mark_vanmouwerik@nps.gov
Contaminants Specialist/Research Associate, NPS Water Resources Division; Natural Resource Program Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
MINING IN WILDERNESS
In 1998 the National Park Service followed the same approach to managing proposed mining operations in wilderness that it developed the previous year: applying NPS regulations, basing mitigation measures or denials on resource impacts identified through the National Environmental Policy Act process, and acquiring mineral rights when feasible. Proposed mineral exploration and operation plans in wilderness within Olympic and North Cascades National Parks (Washington) have been returned to the mineral owners for further information, while an existing operation and a proposed operation in Mojave National Preserve wilderness are slated for validity examinations. The National Park Service is seeking to acquire the mineral rights to an underground talc mine in Death Valley National Park (California).
Back to Chapter 1: A Spectrum of Challenges
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