The State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) blocked the Mettiki Coal application to develop a new underground mine in Grant County, the Charleston Gazette reported.

The permit was rejected on the grounds the mine would “create acid mine drainage that will leave the permit area requiring chemical treatment for an indefinite permit of time."

The DEP said it was obliged to reject the permit under the state mining law and rules under the Office of Surface Mining.

Mettiki were earlier re-buffed by the DEP in an application to extend their longwall D Mine under a Grant County trout stream in January 2002, Charleston Gazette said.

The DEP D Mine decision was later overturned in May this year by the Surface Mining Board, when they allowed part of the longwall project to be extended.

The Mettiki underground longwall mining complex near Oakland in Maryland produces medium sulfur coal from the Upper Freeport coal seam.

Mettiki's preparation plant has a throughput capacity of 1,350 tons of raw coal an hour. Production is shipped by truck or on the CSX Railroad to its customers.