Raleigh County-based Coal River Mountain Watch has urged the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement to step in to address Lexington Coal Company s ballooning delinquent state environmental penalty debt. The group says the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has failed to effectively enforce Lexington compliance.
Lexington Coal Company's delinquent fine debt exceeds $1.5M | Energy and Environment wvgazettemail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wvgazettemail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection renewed the permit, on Jan. 12, 2024, for Lexington Coal Company’s Crescent #2 Surface Mine in Boone and Raleigh counties after it issued two letters on Jan. 9 demanding payment of delinquent civil penalties totaling $5,562 to Lexington on that permit.
The 2014 Elk River chemical leak showed West Virginians they d have to fight hard for basic environmental health protections. 10 years after the water crisis, advocacy continues.
The second of two workers trapped under a coal mine preparation plant that collapsed this week in eastern Kentucky has died, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday. “This is a heartbreaking situation,” the Democratic governor wrote on social media, calling for prayers for the men’s loved ones. The two men —