Board grants special zoning permits for Knight Hawk mines
The Perry County Board approved two 10-year special use zoning permits for Knight Hawk Coal LLC. Both permits were recommended by the zoning board since they met the requirement of being at least 500 feet from the nearest residence. Coal processing facilities must be 1,000 feet from the nearest residence.
The first is for a surface mine on Whitetail Road. The surface mine is on 297 acres, bordered on three sides by Pyramid State Park.
Ronald Balch, President of Midwest Reclamation Resources Inc., which is handling the permits for Knight Hawk, said that special legislation at the state level allows Knight Hawk to mine that close to Pyramid. As part of their agreement with the state, Knight Hawk will donate 240 acres to Pyramid once the area has been mined.
Perry County has already agreed to close a portion of Whitetail Road and relocate it and to close a dirt track called Moose Road for the mine. The relocation of Whitetail should take about two years to complete.
The second mine is an underground mine which will require a portal on the south side of Route 154 east of Route 150 near the Trinity Cemetery. The portal will sit on a 28.5 acre lot.
The site will include a parking lot for approximately 130 employees and increased traffic on the road leading to the portal for at least two years.
Balch said Knight Hawk plans to build a conveyor system for the coal within two years. The system can be constructed quickly. However, the permitting process is lengthy.
Genevieve Brammeier owns a home near the portal and initially had some concerns about the mine. She met with Knight Hawk CEO Steve Carter and he allayed her fears, going so far as to agree to put up a line of trees to screen the view of the mine from her home.
Brammeier said her concerns were addressed and she is confident that Carter and Knight Hawk will address any future concerns in the same manner.
In other business, the board:
• approved 10-year special use permits for Nathan A. Lee to place a new mobile home on Hardscrabble Road and Brett and Laura Obertini to place a new mobile home on Cowbird Road.
• heard from County Clerk Josh Gross that the Farm Bureau would like to split the cost of a new Perry County plat book. The last book, printed in 2011 was a joint project, split evenly. The previous book cost approximately $13 per copy. The books are sold for $25 per copy. Gross said the Farm Bureau has received one bid for $8.82 per book and is expecting additional bids. He will keep the board posted.
• approved raffle licenses for Pinckneyville Community High School Education Foundation, Pinckneyville Knights of Columbus and Perry County Farm Bureau Foundation.