WASHINGTON — Trans Energy Inc. reached a settlement requiring portions of streams and wetlands at 15 sites in West Virginia allegedly polluted by the company’s unauthorized discharge of dredge or fill material to be restored, according to a press release.
Trans Energy will also pay a penalty of $3 million to be divided equally between the federal government and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) as a result of allegedly violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) due to the unsanctioned discharge, stated the release.
The release reported that the CWA requires companies to obtain a permit from EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prior to discharging dredge or fill material into wetlands, rivers, streams and other waters across the U.S.
“[The] agreement requires that Trans Energy take important steps to comply with state and federal laws that are critical to protecting our nation’s waters, wetlands and streams,” said Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resource Division, Acting Assistant Attorney General Sam Hirsch. “We will continue to ensure that the development of our nation’s domestic energy resources, including through the use of hydraulic fracturing techniques, complies with the [CWA] and other applicable federal laws.”
You can find the release here.
