Pennsylvania says mining destroyed lake dam in park
Consol Energy sued for $58 million to fix Greene Co. damage
By Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
February 01, 2008
(The state of Pennsylvania) has sued Consol Energy Inc. claiming it lied about the risks of mining under Ryerson Station State Park in Greene County and caused the failure of Ryerson Dam, necessitating the draining of Duke Lake, a popular swimming, boating and fishing spot.
The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is seeking compensatory damages in excess of $58 million, plus unspecified punitive damages, from the Upper St. Clair-based mining company, according to the lawsuit, filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court yesterday afternoon.
The lawsuit said the cost to replace Ryerson Dam may exceed $30 million, the cost to restore Duke Lake will be more than $8 million and the damage to the park's natural resources is more than $20 million.
It is believed to be the first time that a state park has been damaged by mine subsidence.
The 28-page civil complaint alleges that Consol knew it was risky to mine near the 62-acre lake and its 45-year-old concrete dam, and falsely represented the level of the risk to the DCNR both before and after the damage to the dam occurred in April 2005.
