Ken Ward reports on a major agreement between Patriot Coal Company and environmental groups to resolve a lawsuit over selenium pollution. He reports that
The Patriot deal covers 43 pollution outlets associated with 10 water discharge permits at three of Patriot's mining complexes, Hobet 21 along the Boone-Lincoln county line, Samples in Kanawha County, and Ruffner in Logan County.
Under the settlement, Patriot must construct and operate new selenium treatment systems that will end ongoing water quality violations. Discharges must be brought into compliance with pollution limits in phases over the next two to five years, based on the water and pollution flow. Smaller outlets must be cleaned up first, with a limited number of larger discharges having the latest deadlines.
As the article mentions, the cost of reducing selenium, which is often reverse osmosis or similar treatment, can be high. Estimates range into the hundreds of millions of dollars for all the mines Patriot operates.
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