Judge: No mining rights below Flight 93 memorial

A federal judge has sided with the U.S. government in ruling that a company did not have the right to mine coal beneath the Flight 93 National Memorial in western Pennsylvania.

The (Johnstown) Tribune Democrat says U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose ruled that Svonavec of Somerset failed to demonstrate that it had the right to mine under the memorial site at the time the land was taken through the eminent domain process. Ambrose said the company had cited unrecorded, undocumented and missing documents.

 

The company owned about 276 acres taken by the government, including six acres where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

A company spokesman declined comment. A representative of victims’ families expressed hope for a quick resolution.