News Clippings 3.10.14

3.10.14



Oil Spill






Battles over BP settlement could be nearing an end



Payments of claims on hold during challenges

Baton Rouge Advocate

BY RICHARD THOMPSON

Legal wrangling over BP's multibillion-dollar settlement to resolve

hundreds of thousands of claims for damages tied to the 2010 Deepwater

Horizon disaster could be nearing the end of the line, some experts

believe, after a federal appellate panel ruled last week that businesses

did not have to prove the Gulf of Mexico oil spill directly caused their

losses.

http://theadvocate.com/news/neworleans/8558058-148/legal-battles-over-bp-settlement






BP Is Biggest Loser Among U.S. Government Contractors


Bloomberg


By Jonathan D. Salant and Kathleen Miller - Mar 10, 2014


BP, once the Pentagon's top fuel supplier, is now the biggest loser among

U.S. government vendors.

A combination of no big contracts awarded and promised military work

withdrawn left BP with a net loss of $654 million in federal contracts in

the year that ended Sept. 30, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That

compared with $2.51 billion in awards in fiscal 2012.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-10/bp-is-biggest-loser-among-u-s-government-contractors.html





Finish the cleanup
Pensacola News Journal Editorial Board



It's good to see BP's continued commitment to making sure its oil from the

2010 spill is removed from the Gulf and other waters.



http://www.pnj.com/article/20140307/OPINION/303070028/Finish-cleanup






State





Trip to D.C. successful say officials
DeSoto Times
By ROBERT LEE LONG
Published: Saturday, March 8, 2014 1:05 AM CST



DeSoto County officials returning to the state's fastest growing county say
their recent trip to the nation's capital was successful in more ways than
one, despite a tight-fisted Congress.

DeSoto County Board of Supervisors President Lee Caldwell said she and
fellow DeSoto County Supervisor Mark Gardner and DeSoto County
Administrator Vanessa Lynchard met with top Environmental Protection Agency
officials about DeSoto County's efforts to improve air quality.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2014/03/08/news/doc531a87544e0c0773964699.txt





Army Corps asking for public comment on Mississippi barrier island
restoration plan
Sun Herald

BY LAUREN WALCK



Mississippi's barrier islands are a step closer to rehabilitation after the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Friday released the final details of a

restoration plan.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/07/5398733/army-corps-asking-for-public-comment.html




Mississippi DMR more than doubles Horne contract
Sun Herald

BY PAUL HAMPTON





The Department of Marine Resources within months of signing a contract with

the firm that conducted a 60-day review of the agency last year has more

than doubled the amount of money the agency will pay.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/08/5400702/mississippi-dmr-more-than-doubles.html




Sentencing delayed in wetlands case in Hancock County
Sun Herald

BY ROBIN FITZGERALD



GULFPORT -- Sentencing has been delayed for an Alabama real-estate

developer who filled wetlands near Bay St. Louis in violation of the Clean

Water Act.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/10/5402592/sentencing-delayed-in-wetlands.html






NOAA: Rebuilding Gulfport piers will not harm endangered turtles



WLOX



GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -It looks like Gulfport will finally get the go ahead
to rebuild four fishing piers. Friday, NOAA sent word to Sen. Roger
Wicker's office that rebuilding the hurricane damaged piers will cause no
jeopardy to endangered turtles.
http://www.wlox.com/story/24917807/noaa-rebuilding-gulfport-piers-will-not-harm-endangered-turtles




Bill Walker due in federal court Monday, expected to admit to fraud charge

Mississippi Press

Warren Kulo

March 07, 2014 at 4:05 PM



HATTIESBURG, Mississippi -- Former Mississippi Department of Marine

Resources Director Bill Walker is due in federal court Monday morning, at

which time he is expected to plead guilty to one court of conspiracy to

defraud the federal government.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/03/bill_walker_due_in_federal_cou.html





Regional





Cuts to DENR regulators jarring in wake of Dan River spill

Charlotte Observer


By Andrew Kenney and Craig Jarvis


RALEIGH There are fewer people protecting the state's waters than there

were a month ago.


Last week, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources eliminated

13 percent of the staff positions in the Division of Water Resources. The

cuts were only the latest step in years of winnowing the state agency.

Legislators have erased jobs there every year since the recession in 2008.


http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/03/08/4751058/cuts-to-denr-regulators-jarring.html#.Ux20Gfk7tcY





National





EPA to Require Best Management Practices To Curb Erosion at Construction

Sites

Friday, March 7, 2014



Bloomberg



By Amena H. Saiyid



March 5 --The construction, utility and housing sectors will be required to

implement best management practices to prevent erosion at construction

sites in lieu of numeric nutrient limits for turbidity in stormwater under

a final Environmental Protection Agency rule published March 6 (79 Fed.

Reg. 12,661).http://www.bna.com/epa-require-best-n17179882677/





Senate Dems stage climate all-nighter
The Hill
By Laura Barron-Lopez



At least 28 Senate Democrats are pulling an all-nighter on Monday to wake
up "stubborn" climate change deniers in Congress.




http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/200263-climate-change-all-nighter-in-congress






Four New Ozone-Depleting Gases Found in Atmosphere



Gases Are of Type Banned or Being Phased Out
Wall Street Journal


By ROBERT LEE HOTZ
Updated March 9, 2014 8:04 p.m. ET

Traces of four previously undetected man-made gases have been discovered in

the atmosphere, where they are endangering Earth's protective ozone layer,

a team of scientists from six countries reported Sunday.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304020104579429220381691800?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5&mg=reno64-wsj





West Virginia Tightens Oversight After Spill



Above-Ground Storage Tanks Will Have to Be Registered, Inspected
Wall Street Journal


By ALEXANDRA BERZON
March 9, 2014 7:35 p.m. ET

CHARLESTON, W.Va.—The state will require stricter monitoring of storage

tanks and water systems under a bill Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is expected to

sign in response to a chemical spill that tainted the water supply for

300,000 people here.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304020104579429623941293660?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5&mg=reno64-wsj





EPA Said to Seek Softer Review of Dump



Agency Might Be Concerned About Cost Of Moving Nuclear Waste, Some Say
Wall Street Journal


BRIDGETON, Mo.—An Environmental Protection Agency review board was

pressured by officials at the agency to soften its challenges to an EPA

plan for dealing with a highly contaminated radioactive waste site in this

St. Louis suburb, a former board member and other people familiar with the

matter said.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304732804579421231225277814?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5&mg=reno64-wsj





Offshore Oregon Draws a Green-Energy Rush



Pacific Boasts Wind and Favorable Wave Action, but Projects Have Faced
Resistance Elsewhere
Wall Street Journal


Oregon's deep blue sea is poised to be a new testing ground for green

energy, as advanced technology has entrepreneurs lining up to try to

harness the Pacific's wind and waves.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304834704579403290791026218?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5&mg=reno64-wsj




Questions raised on use of government credit cards

AJC


By Jamie Dupree



A report by internal investigators at the Environmental Protection Agency

found 'ineffective oversight' at the EPA allowed federal workers to use

government credit cards to buy gift cards, gym memberships, food and

thousands of dollars in other items that were not properly approved for

purchase by the agency in 2012.

http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/jamie-dupree/2014/mar/09/questions-raised-use-government-credit-cards/

News Clippings 3.7.14

3.7.14



Oil Spill





DEQ sued over heavily redacted public records
Emily LeCoz
Clarion Ledger
Heavily redacted public documents from the Mississippi Department of

Environmental Quality regarding millions of dollars in legal expenses has

sparked a lawsuit by journalist and consultant Michael Rejebian.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20140307/NEWS01/303070033/DEQ-sued-over-heavily-redacted-public-records




Statement from DEQ director


Clarion Ledger


http://www.clarionledger.com/assets/pdf/D021945036.PDF





New report: incomplete documentation makes determining Coast Guard progress

after BP oil spill difficult

Bruce Alpert

Times-Picayune

March 06, 2014 at 10:18 PM



WASHINGTON -- After the 2010 BP oil spill, the Coast Guard received 534

recommendations to improve response to similar disasters. But a new report

by the inspector general (IG) for the Coast Guard's parent agency says

faulty documentation makes it impossible to determine how many of those

recommendations have been carried out.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/03/new_report_incomplete_document.html





Travel restriction eased for ex-BP exec
AP


NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A travel restriction is being eased for a former BP

executive facing trial for allegedly lying to Congress in 2010 about the

amount of oil that was spewing from the company's blown-out well in the

Gulf of Mexico.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/texas/article/Travel-restriction-eased-for-ex-BP-exec-5296265.php




BP more than tripled CEO Dudley's total pay last year
Reuters

Thu, Mar 6 2014

By David Sheppard and Peg Mackey

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil and gas major BP Plc more than tripled Chief
Executive Bob Dudley's pay last year, the firm's annual report showed on
Thursday, with cash and performance-related bonuses taking his total
remuneration to $8.7 million.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/06/us-bp-salary-idUSBREA2519S20140306




'SPILL,' play inspired by Deepwater Horizon, premieres at LSU's Reilly

Theatre

Chelsea Brasted

The Times-Picayune

March 06, 2014 at 1:25 PM



When the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon occurred, pumping huge amounts

of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, the inky blackness stained a number of

aspects of life in south Louisiana. A new play at LSU's Reilly Theatre aims

to examine some of those aspects through docudrama storytelling and a

collaborative artistic effort.

http://www.nola.com/entertainment/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2014/03/spill_play_inspired_by_deepwat.html





'The Great Invisible,' Mobile native's documentary on Deepwater Horizon

disaster, to premiere at SXSW

Press-Register

Lawrence Specker

March 06, 2014 at 11:53 AM

Mobile native Margaret Brown, the filmmaker best known for her Mardi Gras

documentary "The Order of Myths," is finally ready to unveil her

documentary on the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.

http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/03/the_great_invisible_mobile_nat.html





State







County gets grant to continue tire program





Sun Herald





The Harrison County Utility authority has been awarded a $51,000 grant from

the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to continue its waste

tire collection program.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/06/5396189/around-south-mississippi.html



Alcorn Co. receives illegal dump grant
WTVA


JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) -- Alcorn County was given a grant for enforcement
efforts to monitor illegal dumping in the area.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality gave the county $14,520
for the project.
http://www.wtva.com/news/local/story/Alcorn-Co-receives-illegal-dump-grant/CuZBDVqcNkOm_xWN6gWONw.cspx?rss=2377&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed



Leaders promote using carbon dioxide in oil output


AP
JEFF AMY

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Gov, Phil Bryant and others are extolling Mississippi
as a national leader in using carbon dioxide to extract more oil from old
oil fields.
http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268748/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=3iBjBS6D





Miss. awaits way to tap oil, gas reserves
Clarion Ledger


Mississippi has vast reserves of oil and natural gas in the ground, waiting

for the right technology and best possible business plans to tap into it,

speakers said at a Thursday conference.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20140307/BIZ/303070022/Miss-awaits-way-tap-oil-gas-reserves







Sen. Thad Cochran: Corps adds $14M for Mississippi projects
AP


Mississippi is one of only four states receiving additional funds from the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for dredging and flood control along its major

tributaries. That's according to U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran.

http://www.clarionledger.com/viewart/20140307/NEWS/303070043/Sen-Thad-Cochran-Corps-adds-14M-Mississippi-projects







Presley appointed chairman of national regulators association committtee
Sun Herald


National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners President Colette

D. Honorable of Arkansas on Thursday named Commissioner Brandon Presley of

Mississippi as chairman of the association's Committee on Consumer Affairs,

according to a release from the NARUC office in Washington

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/06/5394287/presley-appointed-chairman-of.html






National parks bring $297.7M to state
Clarion Ledger


A new National Park Service report shows the 6,449,713 visitors to national

parks in Mississippi in 2012 spent $297.7 million and supported 2,436 jobs

in the state.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20140307/BIZ/303060073/National-parks-bring-297-7M-state







Gulf Islands National Seashore has $44 million economic impact in state
Gulf Islands National Seashore has $44 million economic impact in state
Sun herald

BY MARY PEREZ



More than 1 million people visited Mississippi sites of Gulf Islands

National Seashore in 2012 and spent $43.74 million in communities near the

park, according to a new report by the National Park Service.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/06/5395986/gulf-islands-national-seashore.html







Regional





Judge: Duke Must Clean up Groundwater at Ash Dumps


CHARLOTTE, N.C. March 7, 2014
By MITCH WEISS Associated Press



Duke Energy must take immediate action to eliminate sources of groundwater
contamination at its coal ash dumps, a judge said Thursday in a ruling that
came from a complaint filed before a massive spill from one of the
utility's plants coated 70 miles of a North Carolina river in toxic gray
sludge.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/judge-duke-clean-groundwater-ash-dumps-22808855





National






Rare Detente: New EPA Chief and Industry



Executives Say Gina McCarthy Listens, and Even Makes Concessions
Wall Street Journal


U.S. energy companies don't see eye to eye with the Obama administration's

Environmental Protection Agency. But for the first time in years, they have

begun to fashion something resembling a working relationship.

On issues such as measuring the impact of hydraulic fracturing and clamping

down on emissions from power plants, the EPA's new chief, Gina McCarthy,

has navigated the inherently fraught relationship between regulators and

industry without becoming the political lightning rod her predecessor was.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304732804579421443232259918?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_4&mg=reno64-wsj




EPA chief says new U.S. energy rules won't hobble business
Reuters

By Ernest Scheyder



HOUSTON, March 6 (Reuters) - Carbon regulations can be crafted to help
offset climate change without "shutting down business in its tracks," U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy said at a major
energy conference on Thursday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/03/06/ceraweek-mccarthy-idINL1N0M324D20140306




President Proposes Cut To EPA Funding for Fiscal Year 2015


Bloomberg


By Patrick Ambrosio - Mar 6, 2014


Bloomberg BNA – President Obama's fiscal 2015 budget request includes $7.89

billion in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, a cut of

approximately $310 million, or 3.8 percent, compared to the agency's

current funding level of $8.2 billion.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-06/president-proposes-cut-to-epa-funding-for-fiscal-year-2015.html





House backs bill to block EPA power plant rule


Published March 06, 2014
Associated Press



The Republican-controlled House moved Thursday to block President Obama's
plan to limit carbon pollution from new power plants, an election-year
strike at the White House aimed at portraying Obama as a job killer.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/03/06/house-backs-bill-to-block-epa-power-plant-rule/?intcmp=latestnews





House votes to limit environmental reviews
The Hill
By Pete Kasperowicz


The House on Thursday approved the latest Republican plan to jumpstart job
creation — a bill that would set hard deadlines on environmental reviews
that can delay construction projects for years.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/200129-house-votes-to-limit-environmental-reviews





Press Releases





EPA and CEC Partners announce winners of the NAPECA grant program

$1.2 million in community grants awarded to environmental projects across
North America

Montreal – U.S. EPA, Environment Canada, and the Mexico Ministry for
Environment and Natural Resources, awarded $1.2 million in grants under the
Council of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) North
American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA) program.
These grants will support communities in addressing a wide range of
environmental challenges across North America.

The NAPECA initiative was created in 2010 by the environment ministers of
the three North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries that compose
the CEC. The NAPECA was established to encourage innovative and model
environmental initiatives at the community level across North America in
support of trilateral environmental priorities.

"Empowering communities across North America to address environmental
issues is at the core of EPA's Environmental Justice efforts," said Jane
Nishida, Acting Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of International
and Tribal Affairs, "The NAPECA program is a unique example of how EPA
works with our North American partners to support a broad base of local
organizations, indigenous communities, academic institutions, and
environmental groups in delivering environmental programs across North
America."

Six of the 18 grant recipients are from the United States. These grants
include efforts to: support wastewater treatment in indigenous communities;
promote improved nutrition local communities by developing locally-grown
sustainable produce; and protect water quality at beaches in the
Tijuana/California border region in the U.S.

For more information on the CEC and a list of recipients under the NAPECA
program, visit the NAPECA program homepage.

News Clippings 3.6.14

3.6.14



Oil Spill




State joins federal suit over oil spill

By ZACK McDONALD | The News Herald
Published: Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at 18:59 PM.

PANAMA CITY — Florida filed suit Wednesday in Panama City seeking

compensation for environmental damages caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil

spill, which released about 210 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of

Mexico.

http://www.newsherald.com/news/government/state-joins-federal-suit-over-oil-spill-document-1.287023






State





Jackson County named in annual list of Clean Water Act violators
Sun Herald

BY LAUREN WALCK





A piece of land just north of the Jackson County Recreation Department in

Vancleave is going to cost an extra $27,350 after the county pays the

Environmental Protection Agency over violating the Clean Water Act.





http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/05/5392848/jackson-county-named-in-annual.html







Jackson County has 2 of 18 illegal sewage discharge sites in lawsuit

settled by consent decree

The Associated Press

March 05, 2014 at 2:40 PM



JACKSON, Mississippi -- Total Environmental Solutions Inc. and Utility

Services LLC have agreed to address violations of the Clean Water Act,

including effluent violations and unauthorized overflows of untreated raw

sewage at 18 sites in Mississippi.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/03/jackson_county_has_2_of_18_ill.html





IMMS worried outdated NOAA regulations will hurt fishing industry

WLOX


HARRISON COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -The people who help rehab injured marine life
say outdated NOAA regulations could hurt the fishing industry on the Coast.
Several hurricane damaged fishing piers in Gulfport will not be repaired
until a study is done to determine whether fishing off those piers will
negatively impact Kemps Ridley and Loggerhead sea turtles.
http://www.wlox.com/story/24898121/imms-worried-outdated-noaa-regulations-will-hurt-fishing-industry





Gulf Coast Industries workers recycle Mardi Gras beads

WLOX


GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -Many may be wondering what to do with all of those
beads you caught at parades this year. Gulf Coast Industries has a way for
you to put those Mardi Gras beads to very good use.
http://www.wlox.com/story/24896387/gulf-coast-industries-workers-recycle-mardi-gras-beads





Toyota recycler opens near plant

New Albany Gazette



Nationwide and globally recognized scrap metal recycling and waste handling

company Green Metals, Inc. opened up a new facility located at 1034 Corolla

Lane in Blue Springs.

http://newalbanygazette.com/2014/02/27/toyota-recycler-opens-near-plant/






National





House GOP moves to block EPA rules on power plants



AP


WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are moving to block President Barack

Obama's plan to limit carbon pollution from new power plants.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/house-gop-moves-to-block-epa-rules-on-power-plants/article_f5c3e2de-637f-583d-9070-6d10f5666fa8.html




Record Fine Proposed for Coal Mining Operations


AP


The Obama administration is proposing a record fine for thousands of water
pollution violations by coal mine operators in five Appalachian states.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/record-fine-proposed-coal-mining-operations-22794353





House passes bill on energy efficiency
The Hill
By Laura Barron-Lopez


The House passed a bipartisan package on Wednesday intended to up energy
efficiency in homes and federal agencies.




http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/200027-house-passes-energy-efficiency-bill





Rail carries Canadian crude while Keystone pipeline decision simmers
BY CURTIS TATE

McClatchy Washington Bureau


WASHINGTON — While supporters and opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline

have been busy debating the controversial proposal, the oil that it's

intended to move has found another carrier _ one that didn't require the

president's stamp of approval or several years and billions of dollars to

construct.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/06/5391942/rail-carries-canadian-crude-while.html





Opinion





MARK HENRY: Employment and the economy are improving in Mississippi
A Sun Herald Forum

March 5, 2014



In her recent article in the Sun Herald, Anita Lee contended that the

employment picture in Mississippi is much worse than Gov. Phil Bryant has

indicated. Well, let's look at the facts.

http://www.sunherald.com/2014/03/05/5392064/mark-henry-employment-and-the.html




Understanding state employees' pay
Clarion Ledger


The state is operating with fewer employees than it did a decade ago, a

move partially pushed through for budgetary reasons.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20140306/OPINION/303060049/Understanding-state-employees-pay







Press Releases






Company Agrees to Upgrade 18 Wastewater Facilities in Mississippi to Stop
Illegal Discharges of Sewage


Contact: Davina Marraccini, 404-562-8293 (direct), 404-562-8400 (main),
marraccini.davina@epa.gov



ATLANTA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department
of Justice and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
announced a proposed settlement today with Total Environmental Solutions,
Inc. (TESI) and Utility Services, LLC to address violations of the Clean
Water Act (CWA), including effluent violations and unauthorized overflows
of untreated raw sewage. These companies have agreed to undertake a
thorough assessment of, and implement extensive improvements to, 18
wastewater treatment facilities and wastewater collection and transmission
systems located in Mississippi.





The proposed consent decree resolves TESI's liability for CWA violations at
these Mississippi facilities, including numerous effluent violations,
instances of failure to monitor and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs).TESI's
failure to properly operate and maintain these wastewater treatment
facilities and wastewater collection and transmission systems resulted in
violations of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits
issued by the State of Mississippi.





Utility Services, LLC intends to purchase these facilities from TESI and
then assume the responsibilities of TESI to perform the injunctive relief
required under the consent decree at an estimated cost of $1.075 million.
The proposed consent decree also requires TESI to pay a civil penalty of
$225,000.





Keeping raw sewage out of the waters of the United States is one of the
EPA's national enforcement initiatives. The initiative focuses on reducing
sewer overflows and permit limit exceedances, which can present a
significant threat to human health and the environment. These reductions
are accomplished by obtaining commitments from the operators of wastewater
systems to implement timely, affordable solutions to these problems.





The proposed consent decree has been lodged in the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of Mississippi, and is subject to a 30-day public
comment period and final court approval. A copy is available on the
Department of Justice website at: www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent Decrees.html
.





More information on EPA's national enforcement initiative is available at:
www.epa.gov/compliance/data/planning/initiatives/2011sewagestormwater.html




Coal Companies and Subsidiaries to Spend Estimated $200 Million on
Treatment and System-wide Upgrades to Reduce Water Pollution

$27.5 Million Civil Penalty is Largest in History Under Section 402 of the
Clean Water Act

WASHINGTON – Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (Alpha), one of the nation's
largest coal companies, Alpha Appalachian Holdings (formerly Massey
Energy), and 66 subsidiaries have agreed to spend an estimated $200 million
to install and operate wastewater treatment systems and to implement
comprehensive, system-wide upgrades to reduce discharges of pollution from
coal mines in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West
Virginia, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) announced today. Overall, the settlement covers approximately
79 active mines and 25 processing plants in these five states.

EPA estimates that the upgrades and advanced treatment required by the
settlement will reduce discharges of total dissolved solids by over 36
million pounds each year, and will cut metals and other pollutants by
approximately nine million pounds per year. The companies will also pay a
civil penalty of $27.5 million for thousands of permit violations, which is
the largest penalty in history under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act
(CWA).

"This settlement is the result of state and federal agencies working
together to protect local communities from pollution by enforcing the law,"
said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator of EPA's Office of Enforcement
and Compliance Assurance. "By requiring reforms and a robust compliance
program, we are helping to ensure coal mining in Appalachia follows
environmental laws that protect public health."

"The unprecedented size of the civil penalty in this settlement sends a
strong deterrent message to others in this industry that such egregious
violations of the nation's Clean Water Act will not be tolerated," said
Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice
Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "Today's agreement
is good news for communities across Appalachia, who have too often been
vulnerable to polluters who disregard the law. It holds Alpha accountable
and will bring increased compliance and transparency among Alpha and its
many subsidiaries."

In addition to paying the penalty, the companies must build and operate
treatment systems to eliminate violations of selenium and salinity limits,
and also implement comprehensive, system-wide improvements to ensure future
compliance with the CWA. These improvements, which apply to all of Alpha's
operations in Appalachia, include developing and implementing an
environmental management system and periodic internal and third-party
environmental compliance audits.

The companies must also maintain a database to track violations and
compliance efforts at each outfall, significantly improve the timeliness of
responding to violations, and consult with third party experts to solve
problem discharges. In the event of future violations, the companies will
be required to pay stipulated penalties, which may be increased and, in
some cases, doubled for continuing violations.

The government complaint alleged that, between 2006 and 2013, Alpha and its
subsidiaries routinely violated limits in 336 of its state-issued CWA
permits, resulting in the discharge of excess amounts of pollutants into
hundreds of rivers and streams in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,
Virginia, and West Virginia. The violations also included discharge of
pollutants without a permit.

In total, EPA documented at least 6,289 violations of permit limits for
pollutants that include iron, pH, total suspended solids, aluminum,
manganese, selenium, and salinity. These violations occurred at 794
different discharge points, or outfalls. Monitoring records also showed
that multiple pollutants were discharged in amounts of more than twice the
permitted limit on many occasions. Most violations stemmed from the
company's failure to properly operate existing treatment systems, install
adequate treatment systems, and implement appropriate water handling and
management plans.

Today's settlement also resolves violations of a prior 2008 settlement with
Massey Energy, and applies to the facilities and sites formerly owned by
the company. Under the 2008 settlement, Massey paid a $20 million penalty
to the federal government for similar CWA violations, in addition to over a
million dollars in stipulated penalties over the course of the next two
years. Alpha purchased Massey in June 2011 and, since taking over the
company, has been working cooperatively with the government in developing
the terms of today's settlement.

CWA permits allow for the discharge of certain pollutants in limited
amounts to rivers, streams, and other water bodies. Permit holders are
required to monitor discharges regularly and report results to the
respective state agencies.

Alpha, headquartered in Bristol, Va., is one of the largest coal companies
in the nation. Alpha operates more than 79 active coal mines and 25 coal
preparation plants located throughout Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,
Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The Wyoming operations are not
included in today's settlement.

The States of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky are co-plaintiffs
in today's settlement. The U.S. will receive half of the civil penalty and
the other half will be divided between the co-plaintiffs based on the
number of violations in each state, as follows: West Virginia
($8,937,500), Pennsylvania ($4,125,000), and Kentucky ($687,500).

The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern
District of West Virginia, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and
approval by the federal court.

More information on the settlement:
http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/alpha-natural-resources-inc-settlement

More information on Clean Water Act Enforcement:
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/civil/cwa/index.html