Billionaire coal operator admits to hundreds of violations in multi-million-dollar settlement

[theHandpuppet]

the Lexington Herald Leader
Billionaire coal operator admits to hundreds of violations in multi-million-dollar settlement
By Bill Estep
August 19, 2014

A billionaire coal operator [Jim Justice] has admitted to hundreds of reclamation violations in Eastern Kentucky and agreed to post $10.6 million in bonds to fix the problems...

...Justice's companies already had paid $419,635 under citations included in the settlement, but owed an additional $4,498,995, which was cut to $1.5 million as part of the deal...

...The settlement covers a wide variety of land reclamation work, such as cleaning out sediment ponds, stabilizing landslides, fixing drainage problems and monitoring water in Harlan, Knott, Pike, Leslie, Letcher, Breathitt, Magoffin and Floyd counties, mostly at surface mines but also some underground mines.

It also specifically mentions fixing three highwalls — sheer walls left when a company cuts a large notch in the side of a mountain to reach coal. Federal law requires restoring the approximate original contour of the slope, but in one case, a Justice company left a highwall more than a mile long and 80 feet high in Harlan County....

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/08/19/3386764/billionaire-coal-operator-admits.html#storylink=cpy

[phantom power]

1. any fine or settlement having less than 10 digits is "cost-of-doing-business" to these people

[theHandpuppet]

2. Yep.

And Mr. Justice (oh the irony) managed to negotiate 3 mill down from the original 4.5 he owed. I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

[Finishline42]

3. Key part of the story - Tom Fitzgerald

The key part of the story is:

Tom FitzGerald, an attorney who heads Kentucky Resources Council and has been involved in challenges of some Justice-company permits, said he was not troubled that the settlement cut the fines Justice will pay, given the overall settlement.

It is much more significant that Justice admitted violations, agreed to post more reclamation bond money, and is personally liable, FitzGerald said.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/08/19/3386764_billionaire-coal-operator-admits.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

Tom is the one of the good guys. Kentucky Resources Council is our environmental watchdog in the state of KY. They are heavily involved in lobbying the state legislature on these type of issues but also on others - like recently AT&T trying to stop providing land line service in rural areas.