Posts Tagged ‘mine reclamation’
Coal company owned by Sen. Jim Justice’s family faces court hearing over continued failure to clean up mines
In a federal court hearing regarding a motion to hold A&G Coal Company in contempt for violating a January 2023 consent decree, attorneys for the company argued that it doesn’t have enough money to meet the terms of the decree, including funding mine cleanup at three delinquent mines. But attorneys representing the conservation groups that brought the original lawsuit presented evidence that executives for companies owned by the family of West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice — including A&G — routinely move money between the companies as they feel is warranted.
Read MoreA black water spill, precarious permits, a contempt hearing and a new Justice company enters the scene
West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice is the richest senator in the country, according to recent reporting that also highlights his substantial debts. In light of this news, we thought it appropriate to provide an update on our team’s continued work to deal with the ongoing impacts of his family’s coal empire, and their decades-long track record of environmental destruction.
Read MoreDEP report concludes KD 1 Surface Mine is cause of acid mine drainage near Marmet
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has concluded that a surface mine near Kanawha State Forest is polluting a tributary to Lens Creek outside of Marmet with acid mine drainage and high levels of manganese, aluminum, conductivity and sulfates.
Read MoreTrump administration proposes ditching coal mine safety protections
The Department of the Interior has issued a proposal to roll back 2024 improvements to the Ten Day Notice Rule.
Read MoreAbandoned Mine Land cleanup disrupted by federal funding freeze
As the Appalachian region is experiencing intense rainfall this week, the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement is not processing state requests seeking approval for abandoned mine land reclamation projects according to state agency officials and congressional staff.
Read MoreFederal regulators poised to crack down on coal mine operated by Jim Justice’s family
On Dec. 10, 2024, the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement sent a damning letter to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection over the state’s failure to rein in operations on a wildly non-compliant coal strip mine in Wyoming County, West Virginia.
Read MoreEnvironmental groups sue South Fork Coal over damages near Cranberry Wilderness
The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and Appalachian Voices sued South Fork Coal Company today for ongoing violations of the federal Clean Water Act and Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act at five coal mines in Greenbrier County, West Virginia.
Read MoreTennessee’s zombie mine crisis: A growing threat
Zombie mines often evolve into environmental hazards, leaking pollutants into waterways, disrupting natural areas and creating dangerous landscapes.
Read MoreSigns of trouble for critical mine cleanup fund in Virginia
A bankruptcy of any one of nine coal companies could tank the state of Virginia’s mine reclamation fund within a decade.
Read MoreLexington Coal held in contempt for third time for continuing to violate federal court order to stop polluting West Virginia streams
Today, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia held Lexington Coal Company in contempt for the third time for the company’s ongoing refusal to address the environmental damage caused by its coal mining operations in Appalachia.
Read More