Land-Owning Company Would Obtain Permit Under Consent Decree on Abandoned Mines

摘要

A company that owns reclaimed coal mine sites in Mingo County, W. Va., would apply for a Clean Water Act permit for its selenium discharges as part of a proposed consent decree submitted to a federal court April 1 (W. Va. Highlands Conservancy v. Pocahontas Land Corp., S.D. W. Va., No. 2:13-cv-12500, 4/1/15). The proposed consent decree between Pocahontas Land Corp. and three environmental groups, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, is the latest in a string of cases in which environmental advocates have sought to hold land-owning companies accountable for continued selenium pollution from abandoned coal mines. Selenium is a naturally occurring pollutant that can be toxic to aquatic life in high concentrations.