Coordinates: 45°33′56.5″N 62°40′30.4″W / 45.565694°N 62.675111°W / 45.565694; -62.675111

Stellarton Surface Coal Mine

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45°33′56.5″N 62°40′30.4″W / 45.565694°N 62.675111°W / 45.565694; -62.675111

Pioneer Coal Mine in 2015

The Stellarton Surface Coal Mine is an open pit reclamation coal mine located in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. It is owned and operated by Pioneer Coal Limited.

Abandoned tunnel at the edge of the Stellarton pit

Operations

The mine began operations in 1996 and coal is extracted using truck and shovel mining. Coal mining has taken place in this area of Pictou County for more than 400 years, and until the Donkin Mine reopened in 2017,[1] the pit was the only operating coal mine in Nova Scotia.[2] Underground mining previously took place in the area where the Stellarton pit is located[3] and occasionally remnants of the abandoned tunnels from underground mining can be seen on the pit walls.[2] Once coal has been extracted, the surface is restored through reclamation.

In 2014 Pioneer Coal applied to modify the "method of extraction" to include explosives, allowing them to blast through 9.1 metres (30 ft) of rock to access a 3.4 metres (11 ft) seam of coal. The application has raised concerns with the local community.[4] The mine produces about 300,000 tonnes of coal per year.[5] Its principal customer is the Trenton Generating Station.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Donkin Mine begins producing coal in Cape Breton". No. CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 April 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b Beswick, Aaron (24 June 2014). "The end of an era may be nearing for King Coal". The Chronicle Herald. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  3. ^ Beswick, Aaron (6 November 2013). "Springhill could dig coal". The Chronicle Herald. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  4. ^ MacInnis, Adam (5 May 2014). "Residents concerned about proposed blasting at Pioneer Coal in Stellarton". The News. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  5. ^ "Strip miner defends Point Aconi project". No. CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 April 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  6. ^ Noble, Russell (1 May 2010). "Coal mine fits right in with the community". Canadian Mining Journal. Retrieved 24 August 2018.

External links

Retrieved from "https://mdwiki.org/wiki/Stellarton_Surface_Coal_Mine"