WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consol Energy Inc., the largest producer of coal from underground mines in the United States, has agreed to pay a $5.5 million civil penalty for Clean Water Act violations at six of its mines in West Virginia.
In addition to the penalty, Consol will spend an estimated $200 million in pollution controls that will reduce discharges of harmful mining wastewater into Appalachian streams and rivers.
“In this settlement, Consol takes responsibility for its past failures to abide by the terms of its Clean Water Act permits,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. “As a result of this enforcement action, Consol will install a state-of-the-art system to treat wastewater from multiple mines that will set the standard for the responsible management of discharges from underground mining operations in Appalachia. This settlement will ensure protection of human health and the environment for the benefit of the people who live in Appalachia.”
“Complying with the Clean Water Act is a critical responsibility of those who operate mines near our nation’s treasured rivers, lakes and streams,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The state-of the-art technology required by today’s settlement is an important step forward in protecting local waterways and the health of communities in Appalachia.”
Consol has agreed to build and operate an advanced wastewater treatment plant using reverse osmosis technology near Mannington, W.V., to remove high levels of chloride from mining wastewater. When completed, the plant will be the largest such treatment plant in Appalachia and capable of treating 3,500 gallons of mine water per minute, substantially reducing chloride and other salts in mining waters discharged to streams.
Defendant: Consol Energy Inc.
Criminal Charges: Clean Water Act violations
City and State: Washington D.C., West Virginia
Date: 2023 (no specific date given)
Sentence/Outcome: $5.5 million civil penalty and $200 million in pollution controls
Dollar Amounts: $5.5 million civil penalty, $200 million in pollution controls
Related Federal Cases
- John W. Shelton, Conspiring to Violate Clean Water Act, West Virginia 2014 · Kentucky
- John Brewer, Water Sample Data Falsification, West Virginia 2024 · Washington
- David Reyes, Fentanyl Trafficking, West Virginia 2024 · Washington
- Steven Anthony Major, Threatened U.S. Senator, West Virginia 2014 · Virginia
- Brandon Davis, Armed Robbery, West Virginia 2012 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Environmental Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Environmental CrimesEnvironmental CrimesEnvironmental CrimesEnvironmental Crimes