Clean Water Act discharge permit · NPDES WV1027581

SEWELL R MINE, War, WV: NPDES WV1027581 discharge permit, effluent exceedances, inspections, penalties

Administratively continuedPermit status
MinorDischarger class
19Pollutants under a numeric limit
2Pollutants with an effluent exceedance
4Inspections on file
0Formal enforcement actions

SEWELL R MINE, held by SOUTHERN MINERALS, INC., holds NPDES permit WV1027581, which discharges to Pruett Br. EPA’s file records it issued October 31, 2019 and expiring October 24, 2024.

SEWELL R MINE, War, West Virginia: Individual permit WV1027581, held by SOUTHERN MINERALS, INC.; Administratively continued (past its expiration date and still in force until reissued); issued October 31, 2019, term to October 24, 2024; discharges to PRUETT BR.

Aluminum, total [as Al]: 18 limits, 353 violations of any kind, 77 effluent exceedances, latest April 30, 2025, largest 1,555% over the limit.
Iron, total [as Fe]: 17 limits, 320 violations of any kind, 45 effluent exceedances, latest February 28, 2025, largest 349% over the limit.
Selenium, total recoverable: 18 limits, 276 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Manganese, total [as Mn]: 18 limits, 276 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Aluminum, dissolved [as Al]: 18 limits, 276 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Specific conductance: 16 limits, 271 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Sulfate, total [as SO4]: 16 limits, 271 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Solids, total dissolved: 16 limits, 271 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
pH: 13 limits, 183 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Solids, settleable: 3 limits, 180 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Alkalinity, total [as CaCO3]: 12 limits, 156 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Solids, total suspended: 12 limits, 156 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Calcium, total [as Ca]: 12 limits, 156 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Magnesium, total [as Mg]: 12 limits, 156 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Sodium, total [as Na]: 12 limits, 156 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Potassium, total [as K]: 12 limits, 156 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Stream flow, instantaneous: 10 limits, 142 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Toxicity [chronic], Ceriodaphnia dubia: 3 limits, 57 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.
Flow rate: 2 limits, 40 violations of any kind, 0 effluent exceedances.

October 1, 2026: Reconnaissance without Sampling (S).
July 9, 2026: Reconnaissance without Sampling (S).
June 16, 2026: Reconnaissance without Sampling (S).
January 23, 2026: Sampling (S).
March 15, 2022: Effluent Violations - Numeric effluent violation (ST6).

Other permits held by SOUTHERN MINERALS, INC.

MINE NO. 11, Welch: WV1021516, issued June 4, 2018
HONEYCAMP BRANCH NO. 1 MINE, Premier: WV1024205, issued January 10, 2018
AUGER HOLLOW REFUSE DISPOSAL, Bluefield: WV1024221, issued September 29, 2017
RIGHT FORK RED ASH MINE, Iaeger: WV1027824, issued December 23, 2014
SURFACE MINE NO. 4, Welch: WV1030370, issued June 9, 2023

SEWELL R MINE among its neighbors

EPA’s permit file holds 16 discharge permits in the Middle Dry Fork subwatershed (HUC 050702010104), WV1027581 among them. Its county holds 171, 1 of them major permits; WV1027581 is a minor permit.

Other permits in the Middle Dry Fork subwatershed (HUC 050702010104)

AMBUSH MINE NO. 2, Oceana: WV0048810, minor permit, discharging to TUG FK, permit term to July 27, 2023
AMBUSH MINE NO. 3 AND HARMON BRANCH MINE NO. 2, Caretta: WV1021257, minor permit, discharging to DRY FK/TUG FK/BIG SANDY RV, permit term to January 13, 2024
ATWELL BRANCH SURFACE MINE, Bartley: WV1026038, minor permit, discharging to ATWELL BR, permit term to November 7, 2024
BAKERS BRANCH COAL REFUSE DISPOSAL FACILITY, Welch: WV1028995, minor permit, discharging to BARRENSHA CK, permit term to June 12, 2022
BARRENSHE COAL CO, Caretta: WV1027549, minor permit, discharging to CLEAR FK BR, permit term to March 22, 2023
CARETTA MINE NO. 3, Caretta: WV1016369, minor permit, discharging to BARRENSHA CK, permit term to December 26, 2023
CARETTA MINING NO COST RECLAMATION, Caretta: WVR112655, minor permit, permit term to April 5, 2029
CARETTA PREPARATION PLANT AND REFUSE SITES, Coalwood: WV0003018, minor permit, discharging to BARRENSHA CK, permit term to July 23, 2023
DEEP MINE NO. 32, Caretta: WV1016270, minor permit, discharging to BARRENSHA CK, permit term to July 20, 2023
HARMON BRANCH HAULROAD, War: WV1030582, minor permit, discharging to HARMON BR/BARRENSHA CK, permit term to December 16, 2030

Identity

Facility as filed	SEWELL R MINE
Permittee as filed	SOUTHERN MINERALS, INC.
NPDES ID	WV1027581
Permit status	Administratively continued (past its expiration date and still in force until reissued)
Permit type	Individual permit
Discharger class	Minor discharger
Facility type	Not a publicly owned treatment works
Issued	October 31, 2019
Expiration date	October 24, 2024
Address	War, WV 24892
Receiving water	PRUETT BR
Receiving water impaired	303(D) Listed
Subwatershed	Middle Dry Fork (HUC 050702010104)
SIC	1221 – Bituminous Coal And Lignite - Surface

Effluent limits and exceedances

19Pollutants on file
19Under a numeric limit
19With a violation of any kind
2With an effluent exceedance

An effluent exceedance is a discharge monitoring report value over the permit’s numeric limit (EPA’s violation code E90). A violation of any kind also counts a report not filed. Each row is EPA’s own count for that pollutant.

Pollutant or measure	Limits	Violations, any kind	Effluent exceedances	Latest exceedance	Largest exceedance, as filed
Aluminum, total [as Al]	18	353	77	April 30, 2025	1,555% over the limit
Iron, total [as Fe]	17	320	45	February 28, 2025	349% over the limit
Selenium, total recoverable	18	276	0
Manganese, total [as Mn]	18	276	0
Aluminum, dissolved [as Al]	18	276	0
Specific conductance	16	271	0
Sulfate, total [as SO4]	16	271	0
Solids, total dissolved	16	271	0
pH	13	183	0
Solids, settleable	3	180	0
Alkalinity, total [as CaCO3]	12	156	0
Solids, total suspended	12	156	0
Calcium, total [as Ca]	12	156	0
Magnesium, total [as Mg]	12	156	0
Sodium, total [as Na]	12	156	0
Potassium, total [as K]	12	156	0
Stream flow, instantaneous	10	142	0
Toxicity [chronic], Ceriodaphnia dubia	3	57	0
Flow rate	2	40	0

Inspections, violations and enforcement

1Single-event violations

Date	What EPA recorded	Agency
March 15, 2022	Effluent Violations - Numeric effluent violation	ST6

Inspections

Date	What EPA recorded	Agency
October 1, 2026	Reconnaissance without Sampling	S
July 9, 2026	Reconnaissance without Sampling	S
June 16, 2026	Reconnaissance without Sampling	S
January 23, 2026	Sampling	S

Formal enforcement and penalties

0 formal actions, 0 of them with a penalty assessed. Federal and state penalties are separate figures from separate authorities and are shown as each was filed, never added together.

Informal enforcement

EPA’s informal enforcement file holds no action for NPDES WV1027581.

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Figures from EPA’s ICIS-NPDES download, loaded October 14, 2026.

This public-records page covers Clean Water Act discharge permit NPDES WV1027581 for SEWELL R MINE in War, WV, held by SOUTHERN MINERALS, INC., which discharges to Pruett Br and carries an administratively continued status. The page lists 19 pollutants on file, with 2 pollutants under a numeric limit and 2 pollutants showing an effluent exceedance.