West Virginia gas plant will pay record fine for polluting Ohio River

Messer LLC will pay $1.9 million to settle violations of the Clean Water Act for dumping chemicals into the Ohio River.
The plant violated its permit 186 times since 2016 by releasing copper, aluminum, chlorine, iron, and phenolics.
Messer took over the plant in 2019 and assumed responsibility for the violations.
As part of the settlement, Messer will build a new treatment system and increase inspections of stormwater discharges.
The EPA considers the penalty a record for this type of violation in West Virginia.