This news story originally provided by The Lexington Herald-Leader

July 22, 2005

State cites coal company after sediment flows into river

ASSOCIATED PRESS

MANCHESTER - State environmental inspectors have cited a southeastern Kentucky coal company for allegedly fouling about 7 miles of the Red Bird River in Clay County last week.

Mark York, spokesman for the Kentucky Division of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement, announced the citations in a news release yesterday. He said a sediment pond overflowed on July 13 at the Chas Coal complex, releasing black water into the stream.

A state inspector had spotted a potential problem at the site more than a week before the spill, and advised the company to make repairs, York said.

He said no repairs were made.

State officials also cited CAM-KY in Pike County, Harlan-Cumberland Coal in Harlan County and Cheyenne Resources in Perry County last week for allowing the release of muddy water from sediment ponds into streams.