Mining could start up near the Monongahela National Forest again

By Willie Dodson | June 16, 2026 |
An excavator sits on a road in the Monongahela National Forest. Photo by Willie Dodson

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection granted ‘advanced approval’ to two mining companies to take over South Fork Coal Company operations; conservation groups are threatening to sue Two companies have taken over South Fork Coal Company’s mining operations near the Monongahela National Forest — including the use of an illegal coal haul road that…

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