Martin County Coal

MCCC operates a coal processing facility in Martin County, Kentucky. The facility washes coal to remove the impurities and uses a coal slurry impoundment to store the wastewater and waste materials. On Wednesday, October 11, 2000, the impoundment owned and operated by MCCC, had a sudden breach and millions of gallons of waste material, including co... al mine refuse slurry, spilled into nearby waters. The spill entered Wolf Creek, Rockcastle Creek, and the Big Sandy River watershed. Potable and industrial water supply service was disrupted in communities along tributaries of the Big Sandy River in Kentucky and West Virginia as a result of the spill, but was reestablished through the efforts of MCCC and EPA. MCCC has cooperated in the cleanup and, to date, MCCC=s response activities have resulted in the removal of waste material deposits from 15 miles of stream beds, banks, and flood plain areas in the Coldwater Fork and Wolf Creek watersheds.Read More