Breaking News : Usibelli finds buyer for Wishbone coal - Frontiersman

Usibelli finds buyer for Wishbone coal

By Frontiersman staff
Published on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2:10 PM AKDT

MAT-SU — Usibelli Coal Mine has announced it has a potential buyer for the coal it hopes to take out of Wishbone Hill in Sutton.

“We have identified a likely purchaser of the coal and that is J-Power,” company spokeswoman Lorali Carter said Wednesday afternoon.

J-Power runs power plants in Japan and has been a customer of Usibelli's Healy mine for years.

Usibelli has said that one of the main hurdles it needs to overcome before it can start taking coal out of the area is to find someone willing to buy it. Carter said she'd spent the first half of her week attending meetings between public officials and representatives of J-Power and Usibelli.

“We had the opportunity to introduce J-Power to different policy makers and officials and announce something that we consider to be a good milestone,” she said.

The Japanese company, she said, so far intends to buy all of the coal that Usibelli can dig out of Wishbone Hill.

The mining plan is not without its detractors. Any public meeting with the Wishbone Hill project on the agenda has drawn massive turnout from those opposed to it, many of whom live in the Buffalo Mine Road area near the proposed site. Those neighbors worry about coal dust, noise, and safety, among other issues.

 

Copyright © 2010 Frontiersman

Comments

19 comment(s)

    driver wrote on May 30, 2010 7:23 PM:

    " Don't know how they're gonna move it to tidewater. I suppose by truck. Imagine that. Dozens of huge coal trucks driving from Sutton to either the gravel loading facility on the Glenn, or all the way to Port McKenzie. My guess is that given the number of times the coal would have to handled, it's not gonna pencil out anyway. "

    Matt Vally wrote on May 29, 2010 9:39 AM:

    " Too bad Usibelli Coal Mine didn’t help the local coal dealers establish a local market. If they had this problem would not exist. Instead they treat local (Wasilla coal dealers) like they have some disease they don’t want and won’t talk to them. Usibelli created the problems with the local residents. Most of which have no idea what they are talking about. Hey Usibelli why not try helping the local coal dealers sell YOUR PRODUCT LOCALY. "

    Lisnup wrote on May 29, 2010 1:14 AM:

    " Valley Tom - I totally agree about Kincaid she has no vision for Palmer other than checking in at one of her hotels or restaurants. We need new blood for Palmer to grow. "

    resident wrote on May 28, 2010 5:16 PM:

    " I'd like to point out that the subdivisions on Buffalo Mine Road predate the current coal lease and permit. There are people living up there who were there long before Usibelli came along. There are people living there who opposed the original permit, back in the early 1980's. The State has recently paved the road and helped to electrify the area. All to encourage residential development. Residents on 58 mile road and at 17 mile lake are also extremely close to this mine. This is no place for a coal mine. "

    reality wrote on May 28, 2010 3:10 PM:

    " Any of you remember the owner of the Jonesville Mine? William Mrek, he had black lung, never will see his grand kids grow up, but hay what is a life, you bunch of gready --------! "

    Todd wrote on May 28, 2010 2:04 PM:

    " Hmmm... They bought land in an area historically know for coal mining. The fact that there is still recoverable coal there is well know. Now they cry foul?
    It's like in areas where people buy up cheap land around airports and then campaign to have the airport closed because of the noise pollution. "

    Oops wrote on May 28, 2010 5:18 AM:

    " Palmer is already wringing it's greedy hands, hope to see Sutton come up with something other than the rails for this coal. "

    Valley Tom wrote on May 27, 2010 7:10 PM:

    " Another good point by Evets...the railroad. More jobs for Alaskans supporting our way of life. If only we could get the rich (aka people that can afford high energy prices/pay their bills/not live paycheck-to-paycheck) like Kinkaid and Hall off the MEA board, maybe we could burn our own coal right here in the valley. Wouldn't it be nice to save $ and keep your $ local? We seriously need them off that board people. GET INVOLVED. VOTES COUNT. "

    Rose wrote on May 27, 2010 6:19 PM:

    " Good gracious, its about time we see something start to happen around here other than coffee shops and government jobs, Lets hope that this thing keeps marching forward and the Citizens Against Virtually Everything don't screw this one up to. Someone has to work to produce taxes for the grant writers and government workers. We should be proud that we have people willing to keep economic development a reality. "

    Evets wrote on May 27, 2010 1:37 PM:

    " Better keep those railroad tracks running through Palmer. They may be needed for hauling coal one of these days. "

    North Slope Militia wrote on May 27, 2010 11:44 AM:

    " To all the people that bought homes in the area. You should have no problem selling them or renting them out at least. I'm sure all of the Miners are going to be looking for property close bye so they don't have to commute.
    We need all the jobs we can get in Alaska. "

    Moose Munch wrote on May 27, 2010 11:03 AM:

    " They have a history spanning decades of splling huge amounts of Halliburton chemicals and thousands of gallons of truck oil and just moving money around to pay for the fine rather than changing their practices. Didn't the community just spend a few years and over 1 mil to restore Moose Creek and it's salmon, that will have been in vain. "

    Royal Kiehl wrote on May 27, 2010 10:50 AM:

    " Anybody know what the long term effect on17Mile Lake will be? If water supply to the lake is cut off the lake will dry up. If water going into the lake is contaminated with heavy metals, the lake will become a cesspool. "

    buzzy wrote on May 27, 2010 9:41 AM:

    " How can people who live on Buffalo Mine Road be suprised that a mine is going in? Glad to hear about more Alaskan jobs and development. "

    Alaskan wrote on May 27, 2010 8:53 AM:

    " They found a buyer? How disingenuous of a statement is that! They had this thing lined up for some time now. Working behind the scene to get all their ducks in a row. Way to go DNR Mat Su Borough! Sold out again. For what? A few jobs and some black lung. Royalties rates that were set in 1841? Mining over rides the overall well being of all at and down wind of this soon to be black hole! "

    coal means jobs wrote on May 27, 2010 6:48 AM:

    " Let's do this! To all the people that bought property around Buffalo MINE Road; probably should've seen this coming. I know a lady that bought property on "Dry Creek" in the spring, she threw a fit when the creek stopped flowing in July. DOH! "

    fish4life wrote on May 26, 2010 11:03 PM:

    " After spilling over 18,000 gallons of toxins at the Healy area, I wonder how much protection to the environment Usibelli will actually do? They're just like BP. "Trust us," they say. Yeah right. "

    Valley Tom wrote on May 26, 2010 8:31 PM:

    " What part of the road "Buffalo MINE Road" did all the so-called detractors not recognize when they moved to this area? Were they not informed there was a mine there? This will creat jobs. Those people need houses which other people will need to build. When they live in the home and have families, they'll need to buy food at the store, thus keeping other people employed. Resource development is an Alaskan way of life. Don't let the greenies ruin this opportunity unless they are driving wagons and lighting their homes with candles. "

    Palmer Moose wrote on May 26, 2010 8:09 PM:

    " YEAYY!!! Great job Usibelli! Keep it up! Lets get this mine going! The silent majority of us know that you will protect the environment and treat the neighbors with dignity and respect! "

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