Washington mine operator fined for water quality violations

A mine operator is to pay a settlement of $80,000 (£52,635) as a penalty for offences that affected the water quality of the area. The company, Crown Resources Corp, operates in north-central Washington and was charged by the Washington Department of Ecology for violations that resulted in lower water quality.

Crown Resources Corp was officially fined $395,000 (£259,885) last year following an investigation into the offences. The penalty issued was the largest that the Washington Department of Ecology had ever fined a company for offences involving water quality. The company lodged an appeal with the agency over the previous penalty, resulting in a much lower settlement figure.

Investigations into the offences found that the mine's water treatment systems had not operated correctly during the 2011 and 2012 spring seasons. The systems did not capture all of the water from the mine and as such allowed untreated water to be discharged from the mine. The investigation also concluded that the water discharged from the mine during these periods caused slope instability, which ultimately led to a landslide in 2011 and affected a stream located below the mine site.

As part of the settlement Crown resources will also be subject to stricter rules concerning the discharge of wastewater from the mine, alongside a tighter permit.

Charlie McKinney, the Ecology Department's water quality manager, said: "We believe this settlement with Crown Resources, along with a new, more stringent permit, provides us the best path to assure that the Buckhorn Mine protects surface and groundwater from contamination while the mine continues to operate."

In addition to the settlement figure, Crown Resources will be investing $180,000 (£118,428) in environmental projects in the area around the Buckhorn Mine. The projects will be ongoing throughout the next three years and are to be approved by the Ecology Department before their implementation.