(Coal mine photo courtesy US Geographical Survey)
LONDON, Ky. (AP) -- An eastern Kentucky coal mining company has been ordered to pay $1.67 million after failing to respond to a lawsuit brought by the federal government.
U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove issued the order Tuesday, after D&C Mining Corp. of Harlan failed to answer allegations that it owed fines on 1,244 citations.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration sued D&C Mining in U.S. District Court in London in March, alleging that it accumulated the 1,200 citations between Jan. 24, 2006, and Feb. 8, 2012, and had paid $1.1 million of the $2.7 million initially owed.
The company did not file a legal response to the lawsuit within 20 days of being served as required by federal court rules, prompting Van Tatenhove to issue the default judgment.
