Coal company to pay $2m fine

A coal company has to pay a $2 million (£1.28m) fine for not respecting the environment in the US. The company Arch Coal and 14 of its subsidiaries had also been […]

A coal company has to pay a $2 million (£1.28m) fine for not respecting the environment in the US.

The company Arch Coal and 14 of its subsidiaries had also been told to make upgrades to their operations in order to respect the Clean Water Act.

The decision made by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice, comes after the EPA found hundreds of Clean Water Act infringements related to illegal discharges of pollutants.

The violations were found at coal mines in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

The firms also have to implement measures to ensure compliance and prevent future Clean Water Act violations including developing a management system and a periodic internal and third-party environmental audits.

Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator at EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance said: “Businesses have an obligation to ensure that their operations don’t threaten the communities they serve, especially those that are overburdened by or more vulnerable to pollution. This settlement will prevent future environmental and public health risks by making sure these companies comply with federal and state clean water laws.”

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