Summary of Criminal Prosecutions
FISCAL YEAR: 1999
1. PRINCIPAL DEFENDANT: U.S. Coal, Inc.
E.D. Tennessee 3:99CR00003-002
E.D. Tennessee 3:99CR00003-002
2. DEFENDANT: Mark Mills
E.D. Tennessee 3:99CR00003-002
E.D. Tennessee 3:99CR00003-002
3. DEFENDANT: William M. Bale
E.D. Tennessee 3:99CR00003-002
E.D. Tennessee 3:99CR00003-002
William Bale is the President of U. S. Coal, Inc. and Mark Mills was a mining engineer at U. S. Coal. U. S. Coal discharged mine wastewater from an old mine which was closed to an active mine. Due to the fear of punching through the old mine from the active mine and resulting in flooding of the active mine, U.S. Coal elected to drain the wastewater from the old mine without a NPDES permit. The discharged wastewater entered an unnamed tributary of Straight Fork Creek in Scott County, Tennessee.
February 18, 1999
All three defendants were charged in an Information with one count of violating the CWA {33 U.S.C. 1311(a); 1319(c)(1)(A) - negligent violation}. The defendants all pled guilty to the count. U. S. Coal was sentenced to a $125 special assessment fee and ordered to pay a federal fine totaling $19,000. Bale and Mills were sentenced to a $25 special assessment fee and a $3,000 federal fine.
CITATION: 33 U.S.C. 1319(c)(1)(A), 33 U.S.C. 1319(c)(1)(A)
STATUTE:
- Clean Water Act (CWA)