(Sheridan Media, January 24) – Ramaco Carbon’s request for a rezone of land in the Acme area is entirely separate from the company’s request to operate Brook Mine.
As Sheridan Media reported earlier, Ramaco will go before the Sheridan County planning commission on Feb. 1 asking that about 114 acres of land around the Acme exit of Interstate 90 be rezoned from agricultural to I-2 light industrial.
According to Tony Wendtland, a Sheridan attorney who’s representing Ramaco, the rezone would allow the company to build a research park and light manufacturing facility to build products using 3D printing and carbon resin.
Wendtland said the zoning request is completely independent of Ramaco’s request to the state of Wyoming for a permit to operate the Brooks Mine. In fact, he pointed out, counties don’t regulate coal mining in Wyoming. That’s a function of Wyoming’s Department of Environmental Quality.
But, he said, if the county approves the zoning request, Ramaco’s plan is to go forward with the manufacturing facility regardless of what happens with the mining permit.
He said the mining permit application is moving forward, and Ramaco is trying to address concerns raised at a hearing before the Environmental Quality Council last year, but the zoning request isn’t dependent on the mine and has nothing to do with mining coal.
Wendtland said without coal from Brook Mine, Ramaco would look at buying carbon resin, probably someone who makes the product from natural gas.
In an earlier interview, Ramaco CEO Randall Atkins said Ramaco’s plan is to ultimately develop a facility that will use carbon resins and 3D printing to create products ranging from car and airplane parts to medical devices and building products.
