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In An EPA press release stated that "in a complaint filed on May 10, 2007 [that led up to the settlement], the U.S. government alleged that Massey violated its Clean Water Act permits more than 4,500 times between January 2000 and December 2006. The complaint alleged that Massey discharged excess amounts of metals, sediment, and acid mine drainage into hundreds of rivers and streams in West Virginia and Kentucky. Many of the pollutants were discharged in amounts 40 percent or more than allowed. Some pollutants were discharged at levels more than 10 times over the permit limits. The complaint also alleged that Massey spilled large amounts of [[coal slurry]] into local waterways numerous times. Sediment can clog streams and harm fish habitats. The spills occurred as a result of failures in the processing, storage, and transportation of coal slurry."<ref>[http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/dc57b08b5acd42bc852573c90044a9c4/6944ea38b888dd03852573d3005074ba!OpenDocument "Massey Energy to Pay Largest Civil Penalty Ever for Water Permit Violations"] EPA, Jan. 17, 2008.</ref>
An Yet an [http://wvgazette.com/static/coal%20tattoo/60-day%20NOI%20to%20Massey_signed.pdf intent to sue] filed by environmental groups in 2010 stated that: "The complaint in United States v. Massey alleged over 60,000 [discharge] violations over a six-year period" and "The quarterly reports that Massey provides to EPA under the terms of the Consent Decree in United States v. Massey, Civ. No. 2-:07-cv-0299 (S.D. W. Va.), show that the Consent Decree had little or no effect on Massey’s compliance with its effluent limitations. See Appendix C (violation lists from quarterly reports)... Between April 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009, Massey violated its effluent limits at its various operations at least 971 times, and accrued 12,977 days of violation during that 12-month period."<ref>Ken Ward Jr., [http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2010/01/11/despite-epa-deal-massey-water-violations-more-frequent/ "Despite EPA deal, Massey water violations more frequent"] Coal Tattoo, Jan. 11, 2010.</ref>
SW: →2008: - add section
In a landmark settlement in January 2008, Massey Energy agreed to pay $20 million in fines to the EPA to resolve [[Clean Water Act]] violations in West Virginia and Kentucky. The company also agreed invest approximately $10 million to establish new protocol at all its facilities to prevent an estimated 380 million pounds of sediment and other pollutants resulting from its [[Mountaintop removal|mountaintop removal mining]] practices from entering the country's waterways each year. The settlement constitutes the largest civil penalty in the EPA's history for water permit violations.<ref>[http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/6944ea38b888dd03852573d3005074ba?OpenDocument "Massey Energy to Pay Largest Civil Penalty Ever for Water Permit Violations,"] EPA website, January 17, 2008.</ref>
===2010===
