CRMW's allies at the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Sierra Club, and Appalachian Mountain Advocates scored a major legal victory earlier this week, securing a settlement agreement with Patriot Coal that will require the company to clean up selenium pollution from three of its mountaintop removal sites (Hobet 21, Ruffner, and Samples).

Coal companies are pushing for more than 100 new mountaintop removal permits. Tell the Obama Administration to stand up for the health and safety of mountain communities and end mountaintop removal.

Alpha Natural Resources - formerly Massey Energy - will have to clean up selenium pollution at three mountaintop removal mines under a legal settlement brought by the West Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, and Coal River Mountain Watch.  The settlement requires that Alpha begin construction of selenium treatment facilities with an estimated construction cost of over $50 million as well as pay penalties of $4.5 million.

The following text taken from the Sierra Club: (Great quote from Vernon bolded below)

Joe Lovett and Derek Teaney of Appalachian Mountain Advocates and Jim Hecker of Public Justice have filed papers to renew their effort to block a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit for Alpha Natural Resources' proposed Reylas Surface Mine.  Dr. Michael Hendryx's three studies focusing on general health impacts, birth defects and cancer are a centerpiece of this filing.  Dr. Hendrx found higher rates of all three of these health impacts among residents living in areas of mountaintop removal.  Read more on Ken Ward's blog here.

Big Coal's friends in Congress will stage some political theatre in Charleston, W.Va. on Monday, September 26. Please come out and/or call your Congressperson in support of enforcing clean water protections in the coalfields!