Advertisement

Header Utility Menu

  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Events

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

  • Login

Virginia Business

Mobile Menu

  • Issues
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Startups
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • 2022 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2023

Advertisement

Header Primary Menu

  • Issues
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • Issues Archive
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Startups
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • 2022 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2023

Home News Industries Energy/Green Alpha Natural Resources fined $27.5 million

Alpha Natural Resources fined $27.5 million

Published March 6, 2014 by Jessica Sabbath

Alpha Natural Resources Inc. has been fined $27.5 million for alleged violations of its water discharge permits at mines in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

The fine is the largest ever for violation of water pollution permits.

The Bristol-based coal producer said Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and three state agencies regarding claims under the Clean Water Act. The consent decree, filed with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, is subject to a public comment period and must be approved by the court before it becomes effective.

Under the plan, Alpha will implement an environmental management system, expand its auditing/reporting protocol and install selenium and osmotic pressure treatment facilities at certain locations.

The Associated Press reported that these measures will cost the company about $200 million to reduce discharge pollution. The AP said that the government alleges Alpha exceeded water pollution limits of state permits more than 6,000 times between 2006 and 2013.

The pollution discharged did not affect drinking water, the company said.

“This consent decree provides a framework for our efforts to become fully compliant with our environmental permits, specifically under the Clean Water Act,” Alpha Senior Vice President of Environmental Affairs Gene Kitts said in a statement. He said the company complies with water permits 99.8 percent of the time.

Kitts points out that the company has doubled in size twice since 2006, acquiring more than 700 state water discharge permits. The AP said more than half of the violations occurred at mines that were formerly part of Massey Energy, which the company acquired in 2011.

“For an organization our size and with as varied a group of mining operations and permit conditions as we have, our people do an outstanding job in maintaining environmental compliance,” said Kitts. “This settlement will provide a consistent structure to our efforts to become even better in preventing incidents and in responding quickly to situations where permit limits are exceeded.”

Kitts said Alpha’s violations related mostly to naturally occurring elements, such as iron, manganese, aluminum and selenium, whose limits are sometimes exceeded when rainwater or groundwater transports the elements into the discharge from mining operations. 

 

Related Stories

Virginia Business logo

New business-oriented group sponsored by pipeline developers supports Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Virginia Business logo

Dominion Virginia Power and SunEnergy1 to install largest solar facility in Hampton Roads

Virginia Business logo

Dominion Energy directs $1M to help small businesses, residents pay energy bills

Businesses can receive up to $1K to pay off accrued bills during pandemic

Trending

Norfolk’s MacArthur Center mall listed for sale

Making strides

It’s back!

After the crisis

Fort Monroe development moving forward

Sponsored Stories

What Logistics issues will have the biggest impact on you in 2023?

In the New Year, Aim for Better Cybersecurity

4 innovative ways to create capacity

WHERE IS THE SUPPLY CHAIN WHEN YOU NEED IT?

P.A.I.N.T. Your Financial Mountain

5 Benefits of Treasury Management Services from Atlantic Union Bank

Blazing trails in the digital landscape

Advertisement

Advertisement

Trending

Norfolk’s MacArthur Center mall listed for sale

Making strides

It’s back!

After the crisis

Fort Monroe development moving forward

Sponsored Stories

What Logistics issues will have the biggest impact on you in 2023?

In the New Year, Aim for Better Cybersecurity

4 innovative ways to create capacity

WHERE IS THE SUPPLY CHAIN WHEN YOU NEED IT?

P.A.I.N.T. Your Financial Mountain

5 Benefits of Treasury Management Services from Atlantic Union Bank

Blazing trails in the digital landscape

Get Virginia Business directly on your tablet or in your mailbox!

Subscribe to Virginia Business

Advertisement

Advertisement

Footer Primary Menu

  • virginiabusiness.com
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Footer Secondary Menu

  • Industries
  • Regions
  • Reports
  • Company News
  • Events

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Sign Up

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Footer Utility Menu

Copyright © 2023 Virginia Business. All rights reserved.

Site Maintained by TechArk