Mine Expansion Threatens the Youghiogheny River Watershed
A coal mine expansion threatens MWA’s multi-million dollar investment in clean water and healthy streams. Help us stop the Rustic Ridge Mine complex from getting bigger.
LCT Energy currently operates Rustic Ridge 1. The facility covers 2,886 underground acres. Community members have already reported impacts to their homes and water supplies. Yet the mining company wants to expand even further.
Additional coal mining could reverse three decades of important restoration work. We need your help to ensure this investment in clean water is not undone.
Where is the Rustic Ridge Coal Mine & Expansion Area?
Rustic Ridge 1:
- Johnstown-based LCT Energy LP currently operates Rustic Ridge 1. This 2,886-acre underground coal mine is in Westmoreland and Fayette Counties.
Rustic Ridge 1 Mine Expansion:
- PA Department of Environmental Protection approved LCT Energy's permit to expand the current Rustic Ridge 1 coal mine by 1,400 acres.
Rustic Ridge 2:
- LCT Energy has also submitted permits for a new 2,322-acre deep mine in Westmoreland County.
Impacts on the Watershed
The expansion would impact three important headwaters: Jacobs Creek, Indian Creek, and Loyalhanna Creek.
The mine would pump water from the Loyalhanna watershed, and then discharge treated water into the Indian Creek and Jacobs Creek watersheds.
Our experts predict:
- The headwaters of the Loyalhanna – specifically Four Mile Run – could go dry.
- Champion Creek, in the Indian Creek Watershed, would be flooded.
- Given the anticipated life of the mine, the headwaters of Four Mile Run will be reduced to a trickle, and Donegal Lake could go dry.
- Due to the geology of this area, mining will likely result in toxic mine discharges in the Loyalhanna Watershed.
Legacy mining has caused major problems for our rivers.
MWA has invested millions of dollars to treat abandoned mine drainage in the Indian Creek Valley. These once-dead streams are thriving again. They support healthy stream bugs and wild brook trout.
Coal mining here could reverse decades of restoration. We're fighting this mine expansion to ensure our investment in clean water is not undone.
Native brook trout cannot survive in water polluted with mine drainage, which is often highly acidic.
We're Taking Action to Defend our Waters
In 2025 MWA filed a legal appeal against the PA Department of Environmental Protection challenging the approval of the Rustic Ridge 1 expansion. We have retained outside legal counsel, and we're working with experts and engineers to inform our case.
Community Resources
Join our Community Meetings
MWA regularly meets with concerned community members and municipalities about the growing Rustic Ridge issue. Join us in the fight to Defend the Yough.
- Meetings are typically held on the last Thursday of the month online or in person. Contact stacey@mtwatershed.com for details.
News & Updates
Despite strong opposition from residents and elected officials, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has renewed permits for the Rustic Ridge #1 Coal Mine, setting the stage for a…
In October 2021, LCT Energy, LP (LCT) filed a permit modification to expand its underground mining operations in Fayette and Westmoreland counties, Pennsylvania. If approved, this expansion would add approximately…
On August 28 at 6:00 pm at Saint Raymond of the Mountains Church in Donegal, members of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) California District Mining Office will hear…