Tag: mountaintop removal mine

Groups Reach $6M Coal Mine Cleanup Deal

A $6 million settlement has been reached in federal court that will restore damage from West Virginia mountaintop removal mines.

The Sierra Club, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and West Virginia Highlands Conservancy announced the settlement with the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund. A consent decree was entered Friday in U.S. District Court in Huntington.

The Legacy Fund bought the coal mines involved from bankrupt Patriot Coal last year. The agreement resolves a Clean Water Act lawsuit originally filed against the coal company.

Appalachian Headwaters will lead reclamation, including stream restoration and reforestation. The Legacy Fund won’t conduct surface mining, except to aid reclamation.

Environmental groups say it allows a three-and-a-half year extension to decrease the amount of selenium in surface water.

The settlement involves a site in Boone and Lincoln counties where Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has proposed building a business park.

Court Rules to Protect Documents on Mining Research

The West Virginia Supreme Court has ruled documents by a former university researcher studying the effects of coal mining on public health don’t have to be made public after a coal company sued to have them disclosed.

The Charleston Gazette reports Alpha Natural Resources sued to try forcing West Virginia University to release thousands of documents by former professor Michael Hendryx related to academic journal articles he published.

His research suggests people living near mountaintop removal mines face increased risk of cancer, birth defects and premature death. Alpha was among the coal companies criticizing Hendryx’s work and wanted copies of correspondence between Hendryx, co-authors, and any outside organizations or scientists who peer-reviewed his work.

The court ruled documents the documents are protected from because they’re considered internal memoranda.

A spokesman for WVU said university officials were pleased with the outcome.

Exit mobile version