BOONVILLE, Ind. (AP) — A dispute between southwestern Indiana residents and Alcoa Corp. over local mining regulations has come to a standstill.
Boonville Mayor Charlie Wyatt and an association of about 40 residents say Pittsburgh-based Alcoa refused to put into writing a compromise the parties had reached about an expansion of coal mining, The Evansville Courier & Press reported.
"What Alcoa has done is send a message — they have said that they are not willing to be bound to their promises," Wyatt said. "They would rather sue the city and fight with landowners than to simply agree to sign a piece of paper to be bound by an agreement they negotiated themselves."
Alcoa filed a lawsuit against Boonville last week after the city approved an ordinance that bans explosives for mining within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of the city.
City officials said the rules will protect residents because state regulations only require mines be at least 300 feet (91 kilometers) from homes. Residents said they don't oppose the mining but want a larger buffer zone than mandated by the state, along with some other steps to protect safety and property values.
Alcoa said the expansion at Liberty Mine is needed to provide fuel for partially restarting a smelter plant at its Warrick Operations along the Ohio River near Evansville. Alcoa said it plans on restoring about 275 of the 600 jobs it cut by shutting down the smelter in 2016.
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Information from: Evansville Courier & Press, http://www.courierpress.com