"A Kentucky mining disaster killed dozens and destroyed homes. Will a lawsuit bring change?," 27 March 2024

...On 28 July 2022... Lost Creek, Kentucky, was experiencing a... rainstorm.

...The rains caused a silt retention pond to burst at a nearby mine...

...more than 50... are suing Blackhawk Mining, and a subsidiary, Pine Branch Mining, alleging that the companies contaminated local drinking water and failed to perform necessary reclamation work on the coal mine that sits on a mountain uphill from their town. If they had properly re-vegetated the area and maintained the ponds, the suit claims, the community might have been spared...

In a court filing, attorneys for Blackhawk Mining and Pine Branch denied they were responsible for damages “in connection with the unforeseeable and historic rainfall event”. Blackhawk did not respond to requests for comment...