SEATTLE (AP) - BNSF Railway and seven environmental groups have settled a lawsuit saying that coal spilled from trains pollutes waterways in Washington state.
BNSF admits no wrongdoing in the settlement finalized Friday.
The plaintiffs had argued that coal spilled from open-topped train cars is polluting the Columbia River and other waterways in the Pacific Northwest.
BNSF will pay $1 million for environmental projects in Washington state to clean up areas in Bellingham, Puget Sound, the Columbia River and Spokane River. It will also conduct a study of the use of physical covers for coal and petroleum coke trains.
BNSF spokeswoman Courtney Wallace said the $1 million settlement is small compared with initial lawsuits that sought trillions of dollars. The original allegations were sweeping and unfounded, she said.
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