Black Mesa Pipeline Fined for Slurry Spill    

Arizona Daily Sun 
17 October 2004
   

A company operating a 273-mile-long pipeline transporting coal slurry from Kayenta to Laughlin, Nev., again faces hefty fines for spilling 2,300 wet tons of slurry.

The latest fine of $27,500 is the amount stipulated in a consent decree between the state and the pipeline company reached in 2001 to pay for previous spills. The company paid $128,000 the first time to cover clean-up costs and later paid another $229,250 in penalties.

"Although Black Mesa has made progress improving the operations of its pipeline, we continue to be concerned about Black Mesa's inability to prevent discharges from the pipeline," said Steve Owens, director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

The latest spill happened Aug. 21 and the company has until Oct. 31 to pay the new fine.

Each year the pipeline uses a billion gallons of water to move powdered coal from mines on Black Mesa to the Mohave Power Plant in Laughlin.

The company reported the discharge to the ADEQ as required by the consent decree.

Black Mesa Pipeline, Inc. is a subsidiary of Northern Border Partners, of Nebraska.

  

    


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