The Mt. Carmel mine replaces a 22-year effort by Blaschak at the Centralia Mine on the south side of the ridge. The Mt. Carmel project has required the excavation of more than 2.5 million yards of overburden, as well as the design and construction of a pumping system, to handle mine pool and surface water. The coal will be extracted from the Mammoth seam, which is 50 feet thick in some locations and one of approximately 13 seams of coal in the anthracite region.
“We are incredibly excited that production at the Mammoth seam is underway,” said Greg Driscoll, president and CEO of Blaschak Coal Corp. “The Mt. Carmel project is one of the largest undertakings of its kind in the region, and I couldn’t be prouder of the effort brought forth by all the members of our team here at Blaschak. Not only will the mine allow us to produce the highest quality anthracite, but it will bring much-needed employment and economic growth to the region.”
Blaschak signed a 20-year lease with Ed Helfrick, Jr., proprietor of Mallard Contracting. The opportunity will allow Blaschak to maintain mining jobs in the region and eventually provide additional employment options as production potential grows there. Mining on the site is expected to continue for more than 20 years, and will produce more than 300,000 tons per year of anthracite coal.
In 2018, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf awarded Blaschak a $1 million grant provided by the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) to help reengineer, reopen and redevelop the Mammoth seam at Mt. Carmel.