MORGANTOWN – Three Greer Industries companies were assessed civil penalties totaling $573,525 for violations for the state Water Pollution Control Act.
The state Department of Environmental Protection announced the violations and settlement agreements in consent orders published in July. The final settlements took effect Aug. 8 following the public comment period.
Decker’s Creek Limestone was assessed $253,280. Cheat River Limestone was assessed $195,245. Preston County Coal and Coke was assessed $$125,000.
The Dominion Post is published by the West Virginia Newspaper Publishing Co., also a Greer company. Greer’s spokesman was unavailable for comment in time for this report.
All three companies hold state National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. The individual consent orders detail each company’s violations.
Decker’s Creek Limestone monitors and reports its discharges of total iron, aluminum, selenium and suspended solids to DEP. The chart accompanying the order lists discharges exceeding permitted amounts from Oct. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2020, and Oct. 1, 2020 to March 30, 2021.
Iron exceedances ranged from as low as 2% to as high as 882%. Aluminum exceedances ranged from as low as 1% to as high as 1,793%. Total solids exceedances ranged from 30% to 4,527%. Recoverable selenium exceedences ranged from 41% to 147%.
Decker’s Creek Limestone submitted a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to achieve permit compliance for aluminum and suspended solids.
Cheat River Limestone also recorded violations for permitted levels of iron, aluminum and suspended solids. Iron exceedances reached as high as 762.86%. Aluminum exceedances were as high as 2,030%. Total solids exceedances reached as high as 2,640%.
Cheat River Limestone submitted a CAP for aluminum discharges.
Preston County Coal and Coke violated its permitted levels for aluminum and pH (acidity) and submitted a CAP.
TWEET David Beard @dbeardtdp EMAIL dbeard@dominionpost.com
