Feds Propose $3 million fine for fish kill

In an interesting story, the federal government is proposing nearly $3 million in fines against the city of Birmingham, Ala., over an incident that officials say was one of the largest fish kills in the history of the Endangered Species Act.

The proposed penalty stems from a 2008 accident in which a city maintenance crew breached a dam and drained a spring pool containing one of the world’s largest populations of the small, endangered watercress darter. Scientists estimated that 12,000 were killed, more than half the known global population.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the city initially cooperated with efforts to restore the darter’s habitat but has declined to address other threats posed by city facilities.

If you have questions about an environmental case, contact the environmental lawyers at Hendren & Malone.  Attorney J. Michael Malone has PhD in environmental engineering in addition to a law degree and is uniquely positioned to pursue environmental cases across North Carolina.