CONSOL Energy's Mine Water Treatment Plant uses Zero Liquid Waste Process to Improve Water Quality of Monongahela Watershed

Veolia's WIIX calculates positive water impact of 1.3 billion gallons per year

CHICAGO, Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Veolia Water, the global leader in water and wastewater services and technologies, has successfully commissioned and begun operational management of the Consol Energy Inc. (NYSE: CNX) Northern West Virginia Water Treatment Facility near Mannington, WV.  The Zero Liquid Waste (ZLW) facility designed and built by Veolia will treat 3,500 gallons per minute of mine drainage.  By employing a ZLW process, water of low quality is extracted and treated, and clean water is returned to the ecosystem, improving the water balance and condition of the Monongahela River watershed. 

Veolia will provide operational management of the facility for the next 10 years, guaranteeing CONSOL continual performance and optimization of the system.  The ZLW treatment concept removes contaminants in the mine water and reduces them to solid salts.  The process also uses a number of sustainable practices and technology applications, reducing the carbon and energy footprint of the treatment process.

This environmentally sustainable design and construction approach was developed to help CONSOL meet discharge standards for chlorides in West Virginia's waterways.  The facility will treat water from CONSOL's Blacksville #2, Loveridge and Robinson Run mining operations.

"In partnering with Veolia on this first-of-its-kind in scale and scope project, we were able to bring the water treatment plant online on time, under budget, and in full compliance with our permits," commented Katharine Fredriksen, senior vice president environmental strategy and regulatory affairs. "This demonstrates the success of partnering with a company that shares our commitment to our core values of Safety, Compliance, and Continuous Improvement."

To quantify the benefits of the water treatment facility to the Monongahela River, Veolia conducted a Water Impact Index (WIIX) evaluation.  Developed by Veolia, the WIIX measures not only water volume, but the level of stress upon local water resources, overall water quality and indirect water impacts from chemicals and electricity.  Measuring all these factors, the WIIX calculates the water impact of the new treatment facility will be 1.3 billion gallons of high-quality water per year returned to the Monongahela River basin, validating a positive environmental impact by the water treatment facility.    

"Veolia is continually working to develop sustainable solutions to meet the needs of our industrial customers while benefiting the environment," said Kirk Schwab, general manager of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies' Pittsburgh office that designed and built the facility.  "We are pleased to deliver this state-of-the-art project for CONSOL and believe that it will be the benchmark for mine water treatment in the Appalachian region for years to come."

Steve Hopper, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Veolia Environnement North America's Industrial business, said, "The partnership with CONSOL goes beyond meeting new regulatory requirements.  It combines technical know-how with operational expertise to implement a solution which positively impacts the environment while meeting the production needs of CONSOL through guaranteed performance."

Consol Energy Inc., the leading diversified fuel producer in the Eastern U.S., is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 Equity Index and the Fortune 500. It has 11 bituminous coal mining complexes in five states and reports proven and probable coal reserves of 4.4 billion tons. It is also a leading Eastern U.S. gas producer, with proved reserves of over 3.7 trillion cubic feet. Additional information about CONSOL Energy can be found at its web site: www.consolenergy.com.

Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies is the Veolia Water subsidiary specialized in technological solutions and design and build projects for water and wastewater treatment, serving industrial and municipal clients. Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies recorded revenue of $3.1 billion in 2012. www.veoliawaterst.com www.veoliawaterstna.com

Veolia Water, the water division of Veolia Environnement, is the world leader in water and wastewater services. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE and NYSE: VE) is the worldwide reference in environmental solutions. With 220,000 employees*, the company has operations all around the world and provides tailored solutions to meet the needs of municipal and industrial customers in three complementary segments: water management, waste management and energy management. Veolia Environnement recorded revenue of $38.8 billion* in 2012. www.veolia.com

* Excluding VeoliaTransdev employees and revenues currently under divestment

SOURCE Veolia Environment