On the heels of a favorable federal court ruling earlier this week and two more major lawsuits, environmental groups today filed another case over selenium pollution related to mountaintop removal coal mining.
This one targets two Patriot Coal subsidiaries, Catenary Coal Co. and Hobet Mining LLC. Specifically, the suit alleges continuing selenium violations at the Samples Mining complex and at mines related to the Hobet 21 complex.
By the way, here’s some interesting commentary about selenium from the Union of Concerned Scientists:
Selenium is a naturally occurring element that is discharged into the environment through mining activity. While selenium is an important micronutrient, it can be toxic to fish, birds and other wildlife in even small concentrations.
Of course, coal industry officials continue to dismiss concerns about selenium, with some pointing to its presence in vitamin supplements and the like. But it’s important to remember that, despite its nutritional value at low levels, selenium has a very narrow margin of safety — the different between the amount that is healthy and safe and the amount that is dangerous — in both humans and other animals.
And more to the point where mountaintop removal is concerned, we know that one of the world’s top experts on selenium has concluded that mining pollution has already left one West Virginia watershed on the brink of a major toxic event related to selenium.
The selenium issue is clearly heating up again, so stay tuned …
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