Chillicothe, OH – Oxford Mining Company, LLC, a coal mining operation based in Ohio, was sentenced in December 2014 for a years-long scheme to falsify environmental reports submitted to state and federal regulators. The company was penalized for negligently failing to report violations of its Clean Water Act permit, a deliberate oversight that concealed excessive discharges from its surface mines.
Federal prosecutors revealed that between November 2007 and November 2011, a former Director of Environmental Compliance for Oxford Mining, submitted falsified sampling results to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA). While actual testing indicated permit exceedances – meaning the mine’s discharges contained pollutants above legally allowed levels – the reports consistently showed compliance. Oxford Mining failed to adequately supervise this employee or review the submitted data, allowing the deception to continue undetected for several years.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, alongside the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Ohio EPA, brought the case forward, emphasizing the critical importance of accurate environmental reporting. U.S. Attorney Carter Stewart stated, “Energy exploration…must be done in compliance with the law. When a company provides false information to the EPA, it undermines our ability to monitor and protect the environment.”
Financial Penalties & Community Service
U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. imposed a $500,000 fine on Oxford Mining Company, LLC. In addition to the financial penalty, the company was ordered to pay $150,000 in community service. This sum was split evenly between the Ohio EPA, to fund watershed studies in southeastern Ohio, and the National Park Foundation (NPF), to support restoration efforts within the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park near Chillicothe. The park, a significant archaeological site, relies on clean waterways to preserve its cultural resources.
Investigation & Prosecution
The investigation was a collaborative effort by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio EPA, the U.S. EPA Criminal Investigation Division, and members of the Central Ohio Environmental Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Michael Marous and Brad Beeson led the prosecution. Randall K. Ashe, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Ohio, highlighted the seriousness of the offense, stating that authorities “must be assured that coal extraction byproducts are treated and disposed of safely and legally.”
Legal Ramifications
Oxford Mining Company, LLC pled guilty to violating 33 U.S.C. 1319(c)(1)(A) of the Clean Water Act, a federal law designed to protect the nation’s waterways from pollution. The company also received one year of supervised release as part of its sentence. This case serves as a stark warning to other companies operating in the extractive industries: deliberate misreporting of environmental data will not be tolerated and will result in significant legal and financial consequences.
Key Facts
- Defendant: Oxford Mining Company, LLC
- Crime: Falsifying Clean Water Act reports
- State: Ohio
- Year: 2015 (reporting occurred 2007-2011, sentencing 2014)
- Statute Violated: 33 U.S.C. 1319(c)(1)(A)
- Penalties: $500,000 fine, $150,000 community service, 1 year supervised release
- Community Service Beneficiaries: Ohio EPA & Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database
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