Attorneys from Alcoa, an international aluminum producer, and the small southwestern Indiana town of Boonville plan to meet Thursday in an attempt to agree on a resolution over Liberty Mine operations.
Attorneys from each side have entered formal negotiations over a list of demands the city and homeowners say Vigo Coal and Alcoa should abide by. At issue is the distance between mine blasting operations and homes. Boonville’s mayor, Charles Wyatt (D), says he’s hopeful a resolution can be reached soon.
"I want this to happen," he says. "We never said we didn’t them to abandon the project or anything like that. Again, we just wanted to have some safeguards for property and for citizens’ well-being and their health."
This is not the only case the parties are involved in. It’s unclear how this negotiation will impact a case relating to the legality of a permit the Indiana Department of Natural Resources approved.
In a statement, Alcoa says it's considering how to move forward.