Black Hills

Black Hills Corporation is a natural gas and electric utility operating in eight states. Its operations have been linked to documented environmental contamination. In 2017, a subsidiary, Black Hills Trucking, Inc., was involved in a legal dispute with the North Dakota Industrial Commission over jurisdiction for a penalty related to a discharge of produced saltwater on a public road.

The company has also been cited by federal regulators. In 2023, Black Hills agreed to a settlement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), paying a $150,000 civil penalty and agreeing to submit semi-annual compliance reports. While the specific violation is not detailed in the provided evidence, the FERC action indicates a regulatory failure concerning its operations.

Furthermore, the company's namesake region, the Black Hills, faces significant and ongoing environmental threats from historical mining activity, including acid rock drainage that contaminates water systems. Although this damage is primarily linked to abandoned mines rather than the utility's direct operations, the company bears the name and operates within this environmentally compromised landscape. Current evidence specific to the company's own material environmental damage is limited, suggesting a need for further investigation into its operational record regarding spills, contamination, or habitat destruction.