Changes

An ABC News report noted that 2012 Presidential candidate [[Rick Santorum]] was a lobbyist for Consol.<ref>Matthew Rosk and Brian Moss, [http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/rick-santorum-stealth-lobbyist/story?id=15298204#.TwnW-EqZNpw "Rick Santorum, 'Stealth Lobbyist'"] ABC News, January 5, 2012.</ref>

==Executive Summary==

==Legal and regulatory issues==

===2011: Consol to pay over $200 million in Clean Water violations===

In December 2009, CONSOL announced it was idling two mines in West Virginia - the [[AMVEST-Terry Eagle|Little Eagle Coal Co. mine]] and the [[AMVEST-Fola Complex|Fola Coal Co. mine]]. In a lawsuit brought by the [[Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition]] (OVEC), a federal judge suspended CONSOL's Clean Water Act permit for part of the operations. Without these operations, CONSOL said it was unable to meet the requirements of its coal sales contracts.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0815794120091208?type=marketsNews "Consol idling two mines, blames environmentalists,"] Reuters, December 8, 2009.</ref> On December 28, 2009, U.S. District Judge Robert Chambers changed his ruling to allow CONSOL to continue mining at the sites while the legal dispute over the company's fill permits continued..<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9447529 "Fed. Judge Allows Coal Company to Continue Mining,"] Associated Press, December 30, 2009.</ref>