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Mine Plan Approval for Illinois Coal Mineral Rights Lease, Sugar Camp Mine No. 1

Franklin, Hamilton and Jefferson Counties, Illinois

On January 10, 2025, TVA issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed expansion of mining operations under Sugar Camp Mine No.1 Significant Boundary Revision (SBR) 8. The final EIS evaluates a No Action Alternative and three Action Alternatives and identifies TVA’s preferred alternative – Alternative B. Action Alternative B would implement the terms of the existing coal lease agreement, allow mining of the 21,868 acres of TVA-owned coal, and divest all TVA-owned mineral rights/reserves including coal, oil, and gas, and all associated surface rights in Illinois.

The decision to expand the lease and continue mining would be documented in a Record of Decision by late February 2025. The TVA Board of Directors would then consider divestiture of the property in a separate decision, likely later in the Spring 2025.

On August 23, 2024, TVA issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed expansion of mining operations under Sugar Camp Mine No.1 Significant Boundary Revision (SBR) 8. TVA prepared the EIS to evaluate the environmental effects of the proposed expansion of mining operations by Sugar Camp to extract TVA-owned coal from a 21,868-acre area in southern Illinois as proposed in Significant Boundary Revision (SBR) Number (No.) 8 of its Underground Coal Mine (UCM) Permit No. 382. Four alternatives were evaluated in this EIS, consisting of a No Action Alternative and three action alternatives including divestiture of TVA-owned coal.

Since 2011, TVA has conducted several environmental reviews of proposals to mine TVA-owned coal reserves underlying areas of Franklin and Hamilton counties, Illinois, by Sugar Camp Energy LLC, with whom TVA has executed a lease to mine its coal reserves. TVA’s reviews have considered expansions of underground mining operations of the Sugar Camp Energy Mine No. 1 (Illinois Mine Permit No. 382) into areas of TVA-owned coal reserves. The State of Illinois must approve operations and expansions of Mine No. 1; mining of TVA-owned coal reserves by Sugar Camp Energy requires approval by TVA.

In 2011, TVA approved Sugar Camp Energy’s plan for Mine No. 1 to mine coal from approximately 2,600-acres of TVA holdings in Hamilton County, Illinois. In 2013, TVA approved a mine expansion to allow Sugar Camp Energy to mine additional coal reserves underlying an 880.3-acre area. In 2018, TVA approved another mine expansion into the Viking District #2 area, encompassing almost 2,250 acres in Franklin and Hamilton counties. In 2019, TVA completed a Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) to review an 85-acre expansion of Mine No. 1 and issued a finding of no significant impact. In 2020, TVA issued a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision approving Sugar Camp’s application to mine approximately 12,125 acres of TVA-owned coal reserves in Illinois, as part of the Sugar Camp Mine No. 1 expansion.

Public Involvement

TVA made the Draft EIS available for a 45-day public review and comment period ending on October 15, 2024.

During the draft EIS comment period, TVA received comments from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network, and private individuals. Most of the comments from individuals seemed to come through a letter campaign promoted by the Illinois chapter of the Sierra Club. Comments about the EIS process was related to the purpose and need, project description, alternatives, subsidence, natural resources, threatened and endangered species, air quality, water quality, GHG emissions and climate change, socioeconomics, and safety. 

TVA considered all comments received in the final EIS published on January 10, 2025.

Project Schedule

(Dates are subject to change. Unexpected issues may arise, resulting in the need to adjust the schedule.)

Public Comment Period – Draft EISAugust 30-October 15, 2024
Final EISJune 2025
Record of Decision for Mining ApprovalFebruary 2025
Record of Decision for Divestiture

Late Spring/Early Summer 2025

Related Documents

Sugar Camp Mine No 1 Significant Boundary Revision 8 Final EIS

Sugar Camp Mine No 1 Significant Boundary Revision 8 Draft EIS

Sugar Camp EIS Significant Boundary Revision 8 Scoping Report

Sugar Camp Mine No. 1 Significant Boundary Revision 8 Notice of Intent

2020 Record of Decision

2020 Sugar Camp Final EIS Appendices

2020 Sugar Camp Final Environmental Impact Statement (14mb)

2020 Sugar Camp Draft Environmental Impact Statement

2019 Finding of No Significant Impact – Viking District #2 (PDF, 0mb)

2019 Supplemental Environmental Assessment – Viking District #2 (PDF, 0.9mb)

2018 Finding of No Significant Impact – Viking District #2 (PDF, 0.1mb)

2018 Final Environmental Assessment – Viking District #2 (PDF, 5.6mb)

2013 Finding of No Significant Impact (PDF, 0.1mb)

2013 Supplemental Environmental Assessment (PDF, 5.8mb)

2011 Finding of No Significant Impact (PDF, 0.1mb)

2011 Appendices (PDF, 4.7mb)

2011 Environmental Assessment (PDF, 1.8mb)

Sugar Camp Viking 2 Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA)

Sugar Camp Federal Register Notice of Intent

Contact

More information on this environmental review can be obtained from:

Elizabeth Smith
NEPA Specialist
[email protected]
865-632-3053
400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT 11B
Knoxville, TN 37902