DAVIESS CO., KY (WFIE) -
Owensboro zoning officials signed off on plans for a new 700 acre strip-mine in Daviess County. Opponents appealed to the county fiscal court.
Thursday night, both sides came together to answer the court's questions.
Over 13 hours of testimony from previous meetings on the coal issue were entered Thursday night and still, people weren't at a loss for words.
Tony Isbill, like many of his neighbors, is opposed to strip mining in Pleasant Ridge.
"Ii have a farm this is going to be directly next to. It's going to affect our lifestyle. It's going to impair my family and friends from enjoying our property," Isbill told 14 News.
The Fiscal Court's main objective was to determine whether strip mining in Pleasant Ridge fits into the Daviess County comprehensive plan.
"If we didn't have a comprehensive plan, we wouldn't have planning and zoning and you wouldn't be here tonight," said Judge Executive Al Mattingly.
Isbill says there's no room in the plan for mining.
"It is in direct conflict with the county and the agreements that the county has for our tax payers," he said. "You cannot have coal mining in the comprehensive plan and have blasting and things that harm our property or potentially harm our property and then say they're going to protect those things at the same time."
Questions about what strip mining will do to the land were also brought up.
"Yes, there is some prime agriculture farm land and there is some wetlands there. The mining techniques you have to make sure you preserve the soil and make sure it's reclaimed," said Brian Howard with Planning and Zoning.
Isbill says even if the fiscal court votes to allow mining in Pleasant Ridge, he and others will keep appealing the decision.
"We will not stop. At whichever point the WKM stops their appeal, then that's when we will stop. We will go all the way to the Kentucky Supreme Court."
The fiscal court will vote on August 2nd.
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The recommendation is now before the Daviess County Fiscal Court for final approval.
