State, Feds to Negotiate Over Ohio Dam Lawsuit

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio and the federal government say they're ready to enter negotiations to end a lawsuit over mine tunnels being developed within the watershed of an Ohio state park reservoir.

A lawsuit by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers alleged Ohio's decision to issue a permit to Buckingham Coal Co. violated a 1948 state-federal agreement that created the park and reservoir.

The state and the Justice Department asked in a joint filing in federal court on Tuesday in Columbus that the case be delayed while they conduct settlement negotiations next month with the help of a judge.

Buckingham's project would link an existing mine about two miles from Burr Oak State Park in southeast Columbus with new coal reserves.