(CN) - Arch Coal, the country's second largest coal producer, agreed to pay $4 million for more than 1,000 violations of the Clean Water Act in West Virginia and Kentucky, under a settlement agreement with the two states and the Environmental Protection Agency.
West Virginia, Kentcky and the federal government jointly claimed Arch Coal violated its permits and released excessive amounts of iron, manganese, total suspended solids and other pollutants into streams and rivers at four plants - Cumberland River Coal, Coal Mac, Mingo Logan Coal and Lone Mountain Processing.
The government said it based its claims on information Arch Mining provided in spreadsheets tracking its own dumping habits.
Arch Coal has agreed to take measures to prevent an estimated 2 million pounds of pollution from entering watersheds each year, and to install a treatment system to reduce selenium discharges, which impact marine life.
The company will pay half of the settlement to the federal government and divide the rest between West Virginia and Kentucky, based on percentage of violations in each state.
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