The Daily Alaska empire., 1951-01-05
ARR, COAL MINE
 THREATENED BY
 CG RESTRICTIONS

Railroad will be forced to cease to operate and the Healy River Coal | Corporation mine at Suntrana, sup plying fuel for power in the city of Fairbanks. must cease operations in two months. witnesses testified at the hearing in Juneau yesterday before Admiral Joseph Greenspun, Commandant of the Coast Guards 17th District.
 The conference was for the pur- pose of hearing suggestions by in terested witnesses for possible solu- tions to the problem imposed by government regulations effective August 9, 1850 controlling loading and discharging explosives in amounts exceeding 500 pounds at Alaskan ports. The Coast Guard ad- ministers and enforces the Dan gerous Cargo Act
 Serious Effects
 Witnesses testified the restric- ticns will seriously affect the pro- gresS of developments in Alaska vital to the defense program. Build ing and road construction, mining. logging and other necessary works employing the use of explosives will be affected
 c. s. Duryea, General Freight and Passenger Agent in Alaska for the Alaska Steamship Company asked Admiral Greenspun, If the Army and the Alaska Railroad give ap- proval for the reopening of the military dock at Seward will you grant a permit for it's reopening?'
 Admiral Greenspun replied No. ?
 At this time an order for 10000 pounds of powder for the Healy River Coal Corporation, and 90 tons of explosives for the Alaska Rail- road are awaiting shipment rom Seattle, Bernard Ducharme, surface foreman for the coal mine. and Col onel J. P. Johnson, manager of the railroad, said.
 It. Col. J. w Higgins, USA, Assistant Transportation Officer at Fort Richardson also asked Admiral Greenspun if the question would be submitted to Coast Guard Head quarters and the l7th District ,-a,Nlind s+Nn "
 Colonel Johnson left shortly be- fore yesterdays conference was ended on the Pacific Northern Air lines plane for his Anchorage head quarters and could not be reached for comment.
 Coal Mine Situation
 Ducharme said in an interview following the hearing that closing of the Suntrana mine would deprive Fairbanks of power as coal from the mine is used in the generating plants. He said his company has contracts for furnishing coal to the Fairbanks Exploration Company and the Northern Commercial Com panv. Coal is used by the Northern Commercial Company to furnish power for all electricity and steam for the entire city of Fairbanks. His company, Ducharme said, is the only outlet for commercial coal Tor family use in Fairbanks, and a con- siderable amount is required.
 The remote possibility of trans porting explosives over the Alaska Highways to Suntrana from the port of Valdez where explosives are permitted to be unloaded by light- craze and barge service would be so costly the coal company would be forced to raise the price of coal which would create a burden on the public, Dueharme said. He said his company could not mine coal eco- nomically at the present price and absorb the cost of transportation of explosives by such route.
 A temporary permit from the Coast Guard Conmandant to keep the port of Seward open for un- loading explosives would permit continuation of the coal mine and railroad operations until tempo rary dock could be constructed at the head of Resurrection Bay for lighterage and barge service to meet the requirements of the government regulations pending @ final solution. witnesses testified.
 Coal for Army Post
 It is anticipated the Evans-Jones Coal Company another large coal mine in the rail belt will also be in need of explosives for operation shortly. G. w. Thompson. manager at Seattle for the Atlas Powder Company said that the company has a contract from the Army to deliver 100000 tons of coal to Fort Richardson. He said 90 percent Of the production from the mine is used for power at the army post
 The Alaska Railroad has just completed six magazines for storage