RICHMOND, Va. (Legal Newsline) — Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring has announced Alpha Natural Resources Inc. has committed to pay $12 million to help clean up the former Twin Star Mine in Buchanan County.
The funds were received during bankruptcy proceedings for the company. They will help give water quality and environmental benefits to the county and prevent taxpayers from having to pay for the cleanup.
"A process like this is never easy, especially for the workers, families and communities affected by a bankruptcy," Herring said. "Under this agreement, Alpha will take responsibility for cleaning up its operation, and will leave the people of southwest Virginia with a cleaner, potentially useful property instead of a bill for the cleanup.”
The bankruptcy proceedings could have resulted in Alpha not owing any money for the reclamation project but Herring’s team was able to secure the $12 million that will be used on work completed by 2020. In the next 90 days, Alpha must post $9 million in bonds, ensuring the work gets done in time.