West Virginia industrial gas plant will pay $1.9 million for Ohio River pollution

NEW CUMBERLAND, W.Va. (AP) — A producer of industrial gas in West Virginia has agreed to pay $1.9 million to settle allegations that it violated the Clean Water Act. Federal regulators say Messer LLC dumped copper, aluminum, residual chlorine, iron and phenolics into the Ohio River at levels above what was permitted. The Environmental Protection Agency says it happened at least 186 times since 2016. Messer assumed liability when it took acquired the facility in New Cumberland in 2019. The civil penalty will be split between state and federal governments. Messer also agreed to build a new treatment system and to do more to inspect stormwater discharges.