Protect Yellow Creek State Park from Coal Mining

From PennEnvironment (http://www.pennenvironment.org):

One of western Pennsylvania’s great state parks — Yellow Creek State Park — is being threatened by a proposal to allow harmful coal mining up to the park’s boundaries.

Tell state officials to keep coal mining away from Yellow Creek State Park at https://pennenvironment.webaction.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=51108.

Located in Indiana County, Yellow Creek State Park is comprised of nearly 3,000 acres of public lands that are enjoyed for hiking, camping and wildlife watching.¹ At the same time, the park’s 720-acre Yellow Creek Lake is a destination for fishing, boating and swimming.²

Yellow Creek State Park is also home to dozens of bird species including bald eagles, ospreys and great horned owls, and it’s an important rest stop for migratory birds.³ It’s not surprising that it has nearly one-quarter million visitors each year.⁴

Yet the Rosebud Mining Company has proposed to expand their Barrett Mine and Brush Valley mines right up to the border of Yellow Creek State Park, proposing to mine an additional 3,800 underground acres to their existing mining complex.⁵

This risky expansion would mine under three different rivers and streams that feed Yellow Creek Lake, and could endanger the drinking water supply for thousands of nearby residents.⁶

State officials are asking for public input about this proposal for just a few more days — so voice your support for keeping coal mining away from Yellow Creek State Park today.

Pennsylvania’s state parks are the crown jewel of our state’s great outdoor places. Let’s make sure that they are protected from encroaching threats now and for future generations of Pennsylvanians.

1. “Yellow Creek State Park,” Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, last accessed July 26, 2022.
2. “Yellow Creek State Park,” Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, last accessed July 26, 2022.
3. “Birds of Yellow Creek State Park,” Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, June 30, 2016.
4. “Yellow Creek State Park improvements planned,” Indiana Gazette, August 22, 2017.
5. Patrick Cloonan, “Brush Valley mine applications aired at DEP gathering,” Indiana Gazette, July 21, 2022.
6. Patrick Cloonan, “Brush Valley mine applications aired at DEP gathering,” Indiana Gazette, July 21, 2022.