In a historic victory, the Sierra Club, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, and the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy have reached an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) to address long standing pollution issues in certain West Virginia streams caused by coal mining. The groups were represented by lawyers from Appalachian Mountain Advocates.

After decades of coal mining in the region, big polluters have left communities in the Lower Guyandotte River watershed with streams that do not meet water quality standards to protect aquatic life. This week, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia approved an agreement between environmental groups and regulatory agencies under which WVDEP, with EPA oversight, would develop long-delayed pollution standards that the coal industry and other polluters must meet. These standards function as “pollution budgets” designed to restore streams that are not meeting all of the uses protected by the Clean Water Act.

In March, a similar agreement was proposed between the EPA and environmental groups to address the rampant pollution in the region. Public comments on the proposal led to months of negotiations and advocacy by the Sierra Club and other environmental groups, and a revised agreement this week.

“This agreement is a long overdue victory for the people of West Virginia,” said Sierra Club West Virginia Chapter Chair James Kotcon. “For decades, coal companies reaped profits at the expense of the environment in the Lower Guyandotte River watershed. Today’s settlement is the initial step to ensuring that the industry cleans up the mess it created. Our residents deserve access to clean streams with healthy and diverse aquatic life.”

“This settlement agreement is a good first step in getting our polluted streams the help they deserve. For too long, the State of West Virginia left our waters vulnerable to coal mining pollution, resulting in the degradation of thousands of streams,” said West Virginia Rivers Coalition Deputy Director Autumn Crowe. “The efforts to reduce ionic pollution in the Lower Guyandotte River watershed will serve as a model that can be replicated throughout the state to restore other waters impaired by coal mining.”

“This is a seemingly small but essential step forward in protecting the health of West Virginia’s streams and those of us who depend on them for our own health and wellbeing is a long time coming,” said West Virginia Highlands Conservancy Mining Committee Member Cindy Rank. “We are grateful to all who made it happen.”