Appellate ruling allows WA environmental lawsuit to proceed against mining companies

Appellate ruling allows WA environmental lawsuit to proceed against mining companies FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sep 29 2026 atgAshleyGross Tue, 09/29/2026 - 10:23 Washington can proceed in its legal fight to hold two gold mining companies accountable for violating the Clean Water Act and discharging illegal levels of pollutants into groundwater and creeks in Okanogan County, a three-judge federal appeals court panel ruled unanimously Monday. The panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit says Washington’s case against Crown Resources Corp. and its parent, Kinross Gold USA, Inc., was wrongly dismissed by a lower court. The ruling means the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) will be able to continue litigating against the companies for releasing contaminants, including arsenic and sulfate, from the Buckhorn Mountain gold mine into waterways that flow into the Kettle River and on into the Columbia River, in violation of the Clean Water Act. “These companies have long fought to evade responsibility for polluting Washington’s water and harming the environment,” Attorney General Nick Brown said. “This significant court win clears the way for our team to continue to enforce federa

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