Two environmental groups, the Alaska Railroad and the company that transfers to ships at Seward have reached a settlement in the case over coal that spills into Resurrection Bay.
The settlement requires improvements to be made to the Seward coal-loading facility by the railroad and Aurora Energy Services LLC. The companies also have to pay $10,000 for a watershed conservation project.
The case began in 2009 when the Alaska Community Action on Toxins and the Sierra Club sued the railroad and energy company. The environmental groups stated that the coal spilling during loading on to ships harmed Resurrection Bay, which extends to Kenai Fjords National Park.
Last year the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the facility’s storm water permit did not allow that spillage of coal.
In June the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal.