Monday, January 12, 2009

Report finds West Virginia lax on coal slurry dams

Federal investigators from the Office of Surface Mining are finding inconsistencies in the regulation of coal-slurry impoundments by the state of West Virginia. Ken Ward Jr. of The Charleston Gazette writes, "Department of Environmental Protection officials do not properly apply 'safety zone' rules for impoundments built on top of underground mine workings, according to the report."

The report comes during nervous times in the coal industry, following the highly publicized coal ash spill in Tennessee. (Read more) To view the Gazette's graphic on coal-slurry dam problems, click here.

No comments: