A Hunter Valley coal mine has been fined for polluting a local waterway.
Debris from a mine blast blocked a sediment containment drain at the Liddell Mine near Ravensworth in November last year.
The Environment Protection Authority alleged the blocked drain along with a failure to inspect the blast area and heavy rain caused around 26,000 litres of sediment-laden water to enter a pool in nearby Bowman's Creek.
Liddell Coal took action to pump the runoff back to the mine site.
However, although there was no environmental impact, the mine has been fined $15,000 for failing to clear the drain.
