Dragline on Hobet Mine since 1983 — First electric earth mover in WV

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The Hobet Mountain Top Removal (MTR) coal mine has been operating for over three decades; A (Bucyrus Erie) BE 1570 dragline (with an 80 cubic yard bucket) has been there since 1983. (This video is from June 2008; logusts are “singing”) More: History of Dragline Operations in West Virginia www.epa.gov Largest-ever dragline: The Big Muskie www.youtube.com (The first electric dragline was built by Bucryus in 1912.) Satellite images from 1984 to 2009 of Del-Tex/Hobet mining operations in Boone County, WV video.nationalgeographic.com Map: blogs.wvgazette.com ==== 7/4/1999 – wvgazette.com (Excerpt) On March 3, 1999, Chief US District Judge Charles Haden issued a preliminary injunction that barred the Corps from issuing its permit for the operation. Among other things, Haden said Hobet Mining and the Corps had illegally “segmented” the Spruce Mine into smaller parts, so regulators wouldn’t take a closer look, as they would if it were one large mine proposal. “It seems apparent that the operations were split intentionally to allow the commencement of mining operations under a less critical agency review and to delay more detailed scrutiny until after significant work has begun,” Haden said. But on June 24, 1999, the Corps told Hobet Mining it would not approve the project under a nationwide permit. The company would have to seek an individual permit, which requires extensive environmental studies that could take two years. In a letter to Hobet engineer James Johnston, the Corps …

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