Patriot Coal Corporation announced that it has entered into a consent decree with the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Inc the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy Inc and the Sierra Club to resolve claims under the Clean Water Act relating to Patriot's mining activities in West Virginia.

Mr Richard M Whiting Patriot President and Chief Executive Officer said "Selenium is an issue that many companies involved in coal mining must confront. Today's settlement by Patriot represents a strategic response to this challenging issue. We are pleased that this settlement provides a comprehensive framework for Patriot to address selenium across our properties going forward. We believe the consent decree serves the interests of both the public and our stockholders."

As a result of the negotiated settlement, the Company has agreed to a comprehensive plan which provides for the necessary time and flexibility in the development, selection and implementation of emerging technologies to meet compliance deadlines in the future. To resolve claims related to the consent decree, the Company will pay USD 7.5 million in civil penalties to be allocated between the federal government and the West Virginia Land Trust for land preservation projects within the Kanawha River and Guyandotte River watersheds.

The consent decree, which has been filed with the US District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia is subject to a public comment period and must be approved by the Court before it becomes effective.