As a result of the settlement reached with the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and the Sierra Club, Patriot said it had agreed to a comprehensive plan which provided for the necessary time and flexibility in the development, selection and implementation of emerging technologies to meet future compliance deadlines.
To resolve claims related to the consent decree, the company will pay the $US7.5 million in civil penalties, to be allocated between the federal government and the West Virginia Land Trust for land preservation projects within the Kanawha River and Guyandotte River watersheds.
"Selenium is an issue that many companies involved in coal mining must confront,” Patriot president and chief executive officer Richard M. Whiting said.
“Today's settlement by Patriot represents a strategic response to this challenging issue.
“We are pleased that this settlement provides a comprehensive framework for Patriot to address selenium across our properties going forward."
The consent decree, which has been 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.
