The approval by the United States Army Corps of Engineers was received by Massey subsidiary Highland Mining for the operation of the new Reylas mine in Logan County.

Expected to produce about 1 million clean tons of coal annually, the operation will directly employ 103 workers for a period of about six years. Reylas is estimated to generate $US5 million in taxes for the county during its lifespan.

Once operations are completed at the new mine, Highland plans to utilize the reclaimed area for a 235-acre housing site that would be available for local residents in times of emergency, such as a flood.

The temporary housing plan, part of the Logan County Land Use Master Plan, will also have public utilities and paved roads.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to both provide good paying jobs in Logan County and to create a one-of-a-kind site that will help local residents affected by flooding and other emergencies,” Massey surface mining vice-president Mike Snelling said, noting that state governor Earl Ray Tomblin, former governor Joe Manchin and local officials all assisted in bringing the project to fruition.

Highland first applied for the Corps permit for Reylas in August 2007. The West Virginian Department of Environmental Protection granted the mine’s surface mining permit in 2008.