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Gas driller to pay $5 million in fines, repairs in W.Va.

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — XTO Energy, a natural gas driller accused of illegally dumping fill material into streams and wetlands at eight sites in Marion, Harrison and Upshur counties, will pay out more than $5 million in fines and remediation costs, officials announced Monday.

In a press release, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice said they’ve reached a settlement with XTO over allegations the company violated the Clean Water Act.

As part of the settlement, XTO — a subsidiary of ExxonMobil — will “implement a comprehensive plan to comply with federal and state water protection laws at the company’s West Virginia oil and gas extraction facilities that use the horizontal drilling methods.”

According to the release, XTO will pay an estimated $3 million to restore the sites damaged by the discharged fill material. The company also will pay a $2.3 million civil penalty “for violations of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.”

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, a co-plaintiff in the case, has alleged that XTO also violated state laws with the discharges at the eight sites.

Half of the $2.3 million civil penalty will go to the DEP, the release states.

The settlement is still subject to a 30-day public comment period and federal court approval.

“This case sends a clear message that the EPA and other federal and state regulatory agencies will do what is necessary to ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act and to protect these valuable resources and the health of our communties,” EPA Regional Administrator Shawn Garvin said Monday…

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