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DOJ seeks $3.2M from West Virginia governor's coal companies
Read full article: DOJ seeks $3.2M from West Virginia governor's coal companiesWest Virginia Governor Jim Justice speaks during the State of the State Address in the House Chambers of the West Virginia State Capitol Building in Charleston, W.Va., on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Jackson)CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking $3.2 million in penalties from Appalachian coal mines owned by West Virginia Gov. The U.S. and several states settled and signed a consent decree with the companies in late 2016 to resolve allegations of Clean Water Act violations from Justice-owned mines in Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The defendants named in the new filing are Southern Coal Corporation, Premium Coal Company Inc., and Justice Coal of Alabama. A lead attorney for the companies and the governor's office did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.