1.   British Coal has had an option to mine the site for the past ten years.

2.   At the center of controversy is who should pay for cleanup at U.S. commercial, industrial and mine waste sites.

3.   Inco wants to build an airstrip and an access road to the future mine site before winter.

4.   The site will be mined for centuries.

5.   Opponents say mining the site would release toxic waste in the park and the surrounding area, a charge denied by the mining company.

6.   It even bought out an entire village, El Valle, which sits on a projected mine site, turning it into a ghost town before digging begins.

7.   The activist, Kazimierz Switon, said earlier Thursday he mined the site to prevent a wooden hut consecrated as a chapel there from being demolished.

8.   National radio NBC said a fire was still burning out of control after a second explosion had rocked the surrounding mine site, tossing light vehicles into the air.