Friends of Mat-Su to Gov. Parnell on Wishbone Hill: "Heads, We Win - Tails, You Lose"

The legal action by members of the Mat-Su coal coalition, led by the Friends of Mat-Su, and represented by the legal team of Trustees of Alaska, have succeeded in shutting down all operations at Wishbone Hill coal mine just outside of Palmer, indefinitely.

On August 2nd, Brent Goodrum, Director of the Alaska Division of Land, Mining and Water, responded to the ten-day notice (TDN) communication directed at Goodrum's office by the Federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, of July 19th.  In a fit of pique, Goodrum began his 24-page response with "[DNR] does not concede that the OSM has the authority to review alleged permit defects in the Wishbone Hill permits."

By taking this tack, the Parnell administration has doomed the Wishbone Hill project to months and month, if not many years of bickering between Alaska and the Feds.  Until this is resolved, all operations at Wishbone Hill are shut down.  Period.

Good.

note - Philip Munger is Secretary of the Board of Friends of Mat-Su.  This post does not represent any sort of official view of that organization.  Period.