I’ve just learned that the Sierra Club and Massey Energy have reached a tentative settlement of the water pollution lawsuit the group filed against Massey Energy about a year ago.

A proposed consent decree, which I’ve posted here, was filed yesterday with U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver here in Charleston.

The deal sets up compliance requirements and a schedule of stipulated penalties for future water permit limit violations. It requires Massey to pay the federal government a fine of $40,000.

And, it requires Massey to pay $400,000 to the West Virginia Land Trust, to help with an environmental law clinic at the West Virginia University College of Law, which is working to protect riparian area protection projects. It’s similar to the settlement made in earlier water pollution case against CONSOL Energy, discussed here.