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Coal Company to Pay Largest Civil Penalty Ever for Water Permit Violations
25/01/2007 - EPA has announced a $20 million civil penalty in a corporatewide settlement to resolve Clean Water Act violations at coal mines in West Virginia and Kentucky. This is the largest civil penalty in EPA's history levied against a company for wastewater discharge permit violations.
The company, one of the largest coal companies in the United States, has agreed to take measures at all of its facilities that will prevent an estimated 380 million pounds of sediment and other pollutants from entering the nation's waters each year. According to EPA, these compliance measures are unprecedented in the coal mining industry.
In a complaint filed on May 10, 2007, the government alleged that the company violated its Clean Water Act permits more than 4,500 times between January 2000 and December 2006. The complaint also alleged that the company discharged excess amounts of metals, sediment, and acid mine drainage into hundreds of rivers and streams in West Virginia and Kentucky. Many of the pollutants were discharged in amounts 40 percent or more than allowed. Some pollutants were discharged at levels more than 10 times over the permit limits.
The complaint also alleged that the company spilled large amounts of slurry, which is waste containing metals and sediment, into local waterways numerous times. Sediment can clog streams and harm fish habitats. The spills occurred as a result of failures in the processing, storage, and transportation of coal slurry.
In addition to the penalty, the company will invest approximately $10 million to develop and implement a set of procedures to prevent future violations. It will implement an innovative electronic tracking system that allows the company to quickly address compliance problems and correct any violations of permit limits. This measure fits within a comprehensive environmental compliance program that it has agreed to implement, which includes in-depth internal and third-party audits, employee training, and a plan to prevent future slurry spills.
The company will also set aside 200 acres of riverfront land in West Virginia for conservation purposes and protection from future mining. The company is also required to perform 20 projects downstream from mining operations.
fonte: http://enviro.blr.com/display.cfm/id/85101