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GoogleThe commissioners were unsure of the grant's actual use and there was no one at the meeting from Southern Indiana Development Commission or the mine company that could answer specific questions they had.
Consequently, the resolution won't be considered until the commissioner's next meeting on Nov. 2 after they have had a chance to be updated on the project.
However, the delay is not expected to curtail the project.
Lily Group, Inc. plans to open an underground coal mine, south of Jasonville, by the spring of 2010 that will create up to 100 new jobs.
The company is seeking a $1 million grant to purchase equipment through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs' Disaster Recovery II/Economic Development Job Creation grant program for the proposed Landree Mine.
The county commissioners have agreed to be the sponsoring agency for this no-match grant.
Michelle Carrico, a spokesperson for SIDC, told the commissioners that she expected the grant to be finalized by the "end of the day" on Monday. Carrico said she had few details about the project because she was appearing at the meeting on behalf of SIDC executive director Greg Jones, who was ill, and had been working closely with the grant and the mine developers.
"We don't have to do anything," commissioner's president Bart Beard said. "We can wait two weeks."
The commissioner's voted 2-0-1 to table the resolution with commissioner Steve Lindsey abstaining.
Originally, the grant was being sought to assist with the cost of running electrical service to the mine site by Duke Energy, Inc., according to the commissioners.
However, that proposal was amended and now the company will pay for the cost of the electrical line installation and is seeking assistance for the equipment purchase through this grant, Greene County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Joan Bethell told the Greene County Daily World.
Bethell said she plans to address the Greene County Council on Oct. 26 and request a tax abatement for the firm.
Carrico did present the commissioners with three equipment quotes for the Lily Group mining project.
The low bid was from Kammco LLC in the amount of $1,010,000. WW Electric/Webster LLC bid $1,096,000 while Custom Engineering Company, Inc. bid $1,195,00.
Lily Group, Inc. (LGI) is a development stage company in the energy resource industry that has been formed to hold, explore, develop, operate, and manage natural resource properties, with an initial focus on coal exploration.
Lily Group was founded in the fall of 2007 by Rick Risinger to develop, operate, and open access to a known coal reserve located in Greene County.
Lily Group (LGI) had acquired a mineral deed encompassing approximately 1,400 acres of coal. LGI is currently nearing the end of the permitting phase and intends to mine and sell coal from this property -- known as the Landree Mine -- in the first quarter of 2010.
Lily Group has also secured the rights to mine the coal adjacent to the Lily Group Property -- the WPPLP Property -- from Western Pocahontas Properties Limited Partnership. This acquisition adds another 1,400 approximate acres of coal in the Landree Mine. In total, LGI controls 2,800 acres of coal.
At a later phase, LGI also anticipates the mining an estimated recoverable reserve of 15.5 million tons.
The coal is to be accessed by slope to a depth which ranges from 114 to 175 feet, with an average of 130 feet. Coal thickness ranges from 1.96 to 4.84 feet, according to information from the company.
Bethell said the opening of this mine will be welcome news to the Greene County area.
"This (grant) will help them (Lily Group) get a good start and get the business off the ground," Bethell said. "They are anticipating about 100 jobs and the average pay is over $50,000 (per year).
"We've got miners here (in Greene County) who need work."
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This is awesome! Hopefully some of the men and women that have taken the underground mining classes can finally get jobs!
I'm glad to see another mine going in around the State of Indiana. In a time like this when jobs, good paying jobs, are hard to find, more business needs to be brought into the area. I hope the Lily Group has thought about the economics to mine the particularly low coal seam and how the coal market is flooded with clean coal from the rest of the area mines. I hope they have great luck in developing the mine and it runs well enough to prosper and supply miners with jobs and the rest of us with power.
Take a drive by some of these area mines and look at all the coal; they're not selling... The piles are huge... I sure hope it flies for 100 peoples sake though....
The Landree mine site will NOT be the same location as the old Black Diamond mine. Also there is NO affiliation with the old Black Diamond property. Landree will be located on the far western edge of Green County.
I am glad for the jobs I just hate that we have to use corporate welfare to the tune of $10,000 per job to get them here. I also am unsure with Obama's Cap and Tax looming on the horizon that this is a good investment.
If the land owners don't want their land "destroyed" then they don't have to sell their property. By the sounds of it, the Lily Group may already own surface property to set the mine on, I'm not for certain though. Coal mining has been around this area for hundreds of years and has done more envrionmental good then bad. Mines have created terrain more suitable for animals and recreation, planted trees, built lakes, boosted economy in more ways than one, and much much more. The progress coal mining has made in the past twenty years allows coal mine operators to mine the area and remove mining operations leaving the mine site virtually the same, if not better than it was before.
miner_14: Thanks for pointing out the positive aspects of coal mining.
So many people are uneducated about the current laws that now require coal mining companies to be responsible for putting the land back to the original pre-mined condition. We do have a lot of nice lakes and other recreational areas due to the reclamation practices of the coal companies, as well as the oversight of those coal companies by state and federal agencies.
While I understand the nature of the laws surrounding coal mining & the requirements of the state for the coal companies to return the land to it's "original" condition, as a land owner whose property is being considered for this mining operation I have Major concerns. The nature in which Lily Group has approached and handled our "business relationship" has been nothing short of condesinding and deceiving. I refuse to sell the property I own for this mining operation because it has been in my family for years, however, when first approached by Rick Risinger, I was willing to rent out my land. Unfortunately, my questions about what would be done on my land and my requests for it to be returned to it's original condition- as per state laws- were met with legal contracts that did not secure my rights and blatently state opposite what I was told and what I requested. The attempt by Lily group to deceive me through Legal Jargon is malicious. I assume they did not expect me to consult my own Laywer. I empathsize with the need for miner work in Greene County and the need for economic stimulus, but at what price are we willing to sell ourselves to a company that offers only deception?
Glad to hear we are getting much needed job's in the area. With all the people on unemployment this couldn't come at a better time! I hope this company does well! My husband is an underground coal miner so of course I like to hear the demand for coal is there! I have not heard anything about the coal not selling. rhyannon I do agree if they are going to use your property they should fix it when they are done. I do hope you and the Lily group can come to an agreement somehow!
Miner 14 ---- More environmental good than bad????? are you kidding me????
I think it is wonderful that another mine is coming into our area. Although, when the articles come out that announce these hundreds of jobs that are coming into our area...it seems to be a secret on how to apply for these jobs. There is never any information posted in these articles for the general public on how to apply for these jobs. Why inform us of the employment opportunities for those who need the work and then never announce how to comply for the job?
I hate to be the negative one but i really doubt that theres going to be "100 new jobs". Maybe by rule there may be 100 new spots. But most positions will be filled with people coming from other mines. So really its just a new job site for the same people.
Im not going to argue because i dont have the "knowledge" to make an argument that is worth while. Its just my opinion. 100 new mine jobs in this area by Spring 2010. Thats not far away and ALOT of things need to be done before that could happen. Highly doubt it, but once again just my opinion!
KNUCKLEHEAD: I'm not saying that every coal mine before State and Federal Regulations were introduced were helpful to the environment. That is why the regulations were proposed and came into affect; To keep mine operators from hurting the environment. Mines across the Nation for at least 30 years have been held to guidelines to keep environmental harm to a minimum set by State and Federal agencies. Abandoned mines have even been cleaned and filtered where they are/could be harming the environment. Once again State and Federal Agencies see to it that mine operators follow these regulations and if you seem to think that they are still harming the environment, I suggest you take it up with your Congressmen to get the regulations to where you think they should be. Or better yet, disconnect your power. "Coal Keeps the Lights On!!!"
Obviously any sort of new jobs bring some sort of good news to the area. But, the fact remains that new coal mines are not really the answer to the economic ills of Greene County. Do the research - there is no clean coal, only cleaner coal. Coal mining still emits large amounts of carbon into the air. Not good for the environment. They can return the land to as good or better than it was before they moved in, but they can't change the fact that the actual mining of the coal is environmentally harmful.
We are still thinking old-school here people, not forward thinking, which is what needs to be done to propel the economics of this area. Technology, biotechnolgy, green energy production are the ways of the future. Don't hold yourselves to the past as a way to build your future, because you will never be a head of the game if you think building coal mines will change Greene County.
I have done research on the "Green" energy that everyone is wanting to do. While a renewable source of enrgy would be great, there is nothing available to take the demand for energy that we have. Coal, in the Midwest accounts for 70-90% of the source of energy that provides us with everything that we take for granted. While thinking and looking into the future for a better source of energy, we cannot stray from what has got us this far and what obviously works. If coal mining ceases, so does this Nation. It will come to almost a screeching halt. I'm not saying that I'm against "Green" energy and renewable resource, but until we can eliminate the need for coal, which we can't and won't be able to for quite some time, we have to rely on what gets the job done or drastically change the world in which we live in.
Everyone assumes that "big business", ie, the mine companies are honest & will play by the rules. Have you never seen a company go bankrupt, then "reorganize" under another name? The bonds that a coal company post for renovation of damaged property are tied up in court for years, if not decades
Coal does keep the lights on, but with large environmental impact.
I am just completely confused about everyone's posts especially the negative ones. Are we not a nation who is in an economic crisis right now? Don't we have numerous families in all surrounding counties who's children won't get winter coats or new winter shoes? Don't we have elderly who can't get their medication that they need to survive. People are getting turned down my the foodstamp and medicaid adminstration because the state is almost out of money to provide for all of these families. In this ecomonic crisis that all families are facing we as a nation need to look out for ourselves, the poor, and the elderly and stop trying to be so environmentally conscious when people are starving!!! There is of course negative environmental impact that will take place opening a new mine, but get real people!!! Do you know how many pollutants your exhaust from your car emits into the air every day???????? The only people who are concerned with the "environment" are the people who are obviously not struggling to keep the water, electricity, gas, and food for their children. Don't use the environment as an excuse to be negative to something that will create more jobs for more families and give 100 men and women a sense of pride and accomplishment again. If you are that environmentally friendly don't drive your car, use your cell phone, use hairspray, mow your lawn, wash your clothes or flush your toilet. IT'S TIME TO START THINKING REALISTICALLY ABOUT THE NATION'S SITUATION RIGHT NOW INSTEAD OF A HUNDRED YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. FAMILIES NEED TO FEED THEIR CHILDREN......NOW
Anon- don't you think the repercussions from our actions years ago are affecting us now? It's sad that most of the country is suffering from this recession/depression, but obviously WE learned nothing from previous history. Are we to perpetuate this forever? Mr. Risinger already has the majority of his employees for this mine picked from other places. Have you noticed the LACK of "help wanted- coal miners" adds?
Everyone seems to assume that all this property to be used in coal mining is not worth much. Some of the trees in this area are over 100 yrs old. Hardwood forests "capture" carbon monoxide & convert it to oxygen, that WE breathe. What about the loss of timber revenues, & jobs if the forests are decimated for a decade or more? How long do you think it takes a walnut or oak tree to grow big enough to harvest?
you people think coal mines shouldnt be around u people dont have a clue i worked in a factory for 14 yrs before economy went bad making not much money at all i tell u my family has never done better since i work at a coal mine i hope coal mines are around forever so my son can also work at one im just happy to put food in my kids bellies u people that dont want coal mines have more money than sence