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PA ACID MINE DRAINAGE DUMPED IN WEST VIRGINIA WATERS
Release Date: 04/25/97
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1997
ACID MINE DRAINAGE DUMPED IN WEST VIRGINIA WATERS
Paul Thomas of Morgantown, W.Va., president and co-owner of T&T Fuels Inc., now out of business, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Elkins, W.Va., on April 18 to one felony count of violating the Clean Water Act by discharging millions of gallons of acid mine drainage in violation of state and federal permits. Thomas pleaded to discharging untreated and partially treated acid mine drainage from the T&T Fuels #2 Mine in Albright, W.Va., into Muddy Creek which flows into the Cheat River. The discharge took place in April 1994 when a containment structure failed, releasing the mine drainage into the creek. A similar containment structure “blowout” occurred at a second T&T mine in March 1995. Thomas faces a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI and the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection.
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