{Henderson, Kentucky}...At its December 6th meeting, the Henderson City-County Planning Commission will hear a request from Patriot Coal which is asking to change the zoning on almost 500 acres of land so that it can surface mine near the Sloughs Wildlife Area and the county's Sandy Watkins Park. Patriot is seeking mining permits from the state and federal governments to operate near the wildlife preserve. If Patriot gets approval, mining could begin in 2013. County engineer Bill Hubiak says they have to rezone before the state will approve the permit, and then they'll have to come back with their full-blown plan to seek the permit. Patriot mining engineer Bob Calvert says the company has mined near some of the properties in question so residents should know what to expect. Paperwork filed with the rezoning petition says all residents within one-half mile of the mine will be offered the chance to get a survey of their homes before any blasting takes place, and the company plans to use existing roads to haul coal away.
