The development of a new underground coal mine in McLean County could bring at least 170 full time jobs to the area. County Judge Executive Kelly Thurman says Hartshorne Mining is only days away from making a formal announcement.
The mine will be the second to open in the county in a year, amidst a slow increase in coal production throughout the Southern Illinois Coal Basin. Thurman says the last coal boom the county had was in the late 1980’s until the region exhausted the accessible coal at varying strip mining locations.
“Most studies I see will indicate that a dollar earned in a community will generally turn over six to seven times within a local community” said Thurman. “So I'm really excited about that.”
McLean is a small county, said Thurman. “We have not had the luxury of having a great deal of service money for over 20 years. We welcome the opportunity to have some of that funding to do some projects and some things that we need to do in our community.”
Thurman hopes the additional income will help stabilize local government with much needed infrastructure projects within the parks system and existing water lines.
Hartshorne has leased around 75,000 acres for the mine, which would stretch from McLean to Hopkins County.
For the past three years, county leaders and Hartshorne Mining say they have been talking about building an underground mine. While Thurman said he doesn’t “want to jump the gun” the company has indicated to him that all systems seem to be go.
“There are a couple of small legal matters that are taken care of but I anticipate it will have a major announcement probably within the next 45 days or so.” Thurman said.
Thurman says this offers some optimism that coal could see brighter days. The only other operating mine is located in western McLean in Beach Grove near the Henderson County and Daviess County line.
Kentucky’s Energy and Environment cabinet reportsa slight increase in first quarter coal production compared to this time last year in Union, Hopkins, Muhlenberg, and McLean counties.
Whether or not the increase is sustainable, or just a slight bump in production is unknown. The Ohio Valley ReSource reportsthat industry analysts have cast doubt on a true comeback for coal, but Thurman says while the world still wants it, McLean wants to be able to supply it.
“Both of these mines as they were being developed and as they were being organized and brought to fruition, operate on a premise that basically they can put good quality high sulfur coal on a barge […] and the world is their market.” Thurman said.
