After a six year absence, coal mining is returning to Hinton.

The Obed mountain mine is back in operation this month, after the company projected a third quarter opening for the plant. The plant is expected to extract 400,000 tonnes of coal this year, according to a quarterly report from Sherritt coal.

Mel Williams, vice president of mountain operations with Sherritt coal said 124 employees are currently working at the plant in order to get it up to full capacity. That number is expected to climb to 135 employees by the end of the month.

“The mine will produce 1.2 million tonnes per year for the next five years. The total mine life is estimated at ten-plus years,” Williams said.

The company spent more than $12 million to prepare the site for production.

At 1.2 million tonnes a year, the Obed mountain mine is Sherritt’s smallest operation. The key customer of the coal is international and domestic utility companies. The mine produces thermal coal.

The re-opening of the mine is seen as an asset to the town’s industrial base, according to municipal officials.

“The mine adds diversity to our economy so we’re not relying on one industry,” said Hinton economic development Renee LaBoucane. ‘It definitely has provided an alternative for employment in our area. We’ve had more people move here to come to the mine to work.”

Officials at Minewatch, a mining watchdog based in Ontario, said they’ve had no complaints about the Obed mountain mine, however they’ve received several environmental complaints about many of Sherritt’s other operations in Manitoba.

The mine originally closed on March 25, 2003, putting 95 employees out of work. At that time, the mine was owned by Luscar, which said there was 60 million tonnes of coal left in the mine. Luscar blamed poor economic conditions at the time for the shut down. The mine was originally opened in 1985.