Multinational mining company Drummond has said it will fight sanctions levied against it for dumping vast deposits of coal into the sea earlier this year, reported newspaper El Espectador Wednesday.
The Alabama-based company is currently subject to an investigation by Colombia’s Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA) which is trying to specify the exact amount of coal that was poured into the sea. There has been a legal game of cat and mouse following the incident, reported the newspaper.
Drummond initially had its operations permit revoked due to the cover-up operation that followed the spill but the termination was reversed following the implementation of a contingency plan.
MORE: Colombia Suspends Drummond Operations After Coal Spill Coverup
MORE: Colombia lifts Drummond coal export ban
However, according to El Espectador it appears that Drummond is seeking to avoid any punishment at all after insisting that the measures they took were necessary to save the lives of the sailors involved. The company apparently is trying to stall for time and avoid any sanctions at all, added the newspaper.
Drummond has insisted that the ANLA is not the appropriate body to be conducting the investigation, but rather it should fall to the hands of the maritime authority. Whereas the ANLA can fine a company for $1.5 million, the maritime authority is only able to fine a maximum of $300,000, said El Espectador.