Tennessee’s petition moves forward; SELC files intervention to support the effort

The federal Office of Surface Mining (OSM) has determined that the state’s petition to declare certain state-owned lands on the northern Cumberland Plateau off-limits to surface coal mining to be complete. This administrative step was required by law before the agency can begin evaluating the petition on its merits.

Immediately upon the OSM’s determination on November 24, SELC submitted a motion to intervene in the petition review on the side of the state to support its effort to protect the forests, waters, wildlife habitat and recreational values of the plateau.

Read our motion to intervene here (pdf).