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Black Mesa agrees to fine

Wednesday, May 23, 2001 | 10:18 a.m.

Black Mesa Pipeline Inc., will pay $128,000 in federal penalties for illegally discharging nearly 485,000 gallons of coal slurry between Kayenta, Ariz., mine and the Mohave Generating Station in Laughlin.

Seven separate spills of the pulverized coal mixed with water occurred along Black Mesa's 273-mile pipeline leading from Peabody's Western Coal Co. mine to the station, about 90 miles southeast of Las Vegas, between December 1997 and July 1999.

Black Mesa has agreed to pay $49,000 to the state of Arizona, which discovered the spills, and $79,000 to the U.S. Treasury to settle violations of state law and the Clean Water Act.

The company has agreed to increase maintenance and pay increasing penalty amounts for any future spills.

The Mohave station is owned by Southern California Edison, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Nevada Power Company and the Salt River Project of Arizona.

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