Posts Tagged ‘South Fork Coal Company’
Bankrupt coal company cited for releasing ‘sludge’ into West Virginia’s Gauley River watershed
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection issued its latest notice of violation against South Fork Coal Company, the bankrupt mining firm operating a 3,600-acre surface mining complex in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, on March 24. The citation was issued for “iron staining and sludge deposits” in Becky Run caused by the company’s Lost Flats #2 Surface Mine.
Read MoreCoal company with 80+ clean water violations files for bankruptcy
South Fork Coal Company and its parent entities Xinergy and White Forest Resources, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. The move follows the company’s well-documented pattern of water pollution and mine clean-up violations, which have drawn mounting public scrutiny and legal actions.
Read MoreFederal regulators shut down illegal WV coal haul road — Interior quietly reopens it at company’s request
In a whirlwind of conflicting decisions, the U.S. Department of the Interior has quietly allowed South Fork Coal Company to resume hauling coal through the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia — just weeks after Biden administration regulators shut down the unlawful haul road.
Read MoreFederal regulators issue notice to DEP for failing to enforce environmental protections at Greenbrier County coal mines
A notice issued by federal coal mining regulators outlines the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s failures to address persistent problems at a set of South Fork Coal Company mines and directs state regulators to address the issues and report back.
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 MoreBad actor coal company seeks to expand surface mine in endangered candy darter habitat
Surface mining of this scale is bad news for the environment even if it is conducted within the confines of the law, but South Fork Coal Company’s history of regulatory infractions is almost as egregious as Greenbrier County is beautiful.
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