In a decision made by a former Athens County official, the public forum on the proposed Joy Hollow Mine in Bern Township will be held in private.
An informal conference will be held by the Division of Mining and Reclamation to discuss Oxford Mining Co.’s application to mine in Sharpsburg—about 17 miles northeast of Athens.
Former DMRM Chief John Husted made this decision, though Lanny Erdos was appointed last Friday to take his place, according to a news release.
“The idea of holding a public hearing in private violates all public trust,” states the release. “To deny the public and press from listening to testimony in a public setting for the public flies in the face of our 1st and 14th amendment rights.”
Under the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act, public hearings and informal conferences must be public.
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