Bluestone Coke failed to meet a court-ordered deadline to pay fees related to a lawsuit over water pollution in Alabama, despite providing some documents.
Margaret Kates reports for AL.com.
In short:
- Bluestone Coke, owned by the West Virginia governor's son, did not pay court-ordered fees in a pollution lawsuit by the September 11 deadline.
- The lawsuit, filed by environmental groups, claims Bluestone discharged pollutants into Five Mile Creek more than 390 times, exceeding permit limits.
- The facility, now closed, is located within a Superfund site, and cleanup efforts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are ongoing.
Key quote:
“Bluestone is still in contempt for failing to pay fees ordered by the court.”
— Sarah Stokes, senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center
Why this matters:
Bluestone’s non-compliance highlights ongoing challenges in holding corporations accountable for environmental violations. This pollution impacts both public health and local ecosystems, especially in historically marginalized areas.
Read more: Abandoned Birmingham plant's pollution crisis leads to contempt charges
