Many Harrison County residents will remain untouched as their neighbors along Farm-to-Market Road 2526 are removed from their homes due to the Sabine Mining Company's advances. The most affect it will have on them is their air conditioning will keep running and lights will continue to turn on as the mining provides lignite for the Henry W. Pirkey Power Plant.

But perhaps they should be more concerned as the proposal of mega-highway U.S. Interstate 69 through Harrison County may be stopped short due to this coal mining. Competition has been increasing as Longview started vying for a piece of the roadway to pass through it, instead of through Marshall.

The Texas Department of Transportation has proposed a west and east route through the Atlanta District, which includes Harrison County. Harrison County Judge Wayne McWhorter said the east route doesn't fall on any mined areas, but the west route runs along an area from Carthage through Marshall which has been mined by both The Sabine Mining Company and TXU Electric.

"TxDOT engineers and the area engineers from Atlanta, Texas, have indicated concern about crossing the mining areas with I-69," he explained.