I was involved in a Clean Water Act lawsuit once.  Unfortunately, the attorney with the most experience in this law said that courts NEVER assess the maximum penalty, or even close to it.  The courts have sometimes been good at reigning in administrations and businesses, but don't delude yourselves into thinking we have an honest court system, either.  The vast majority of judges are old, white, and very friendly to business interests.

this is exactly why we cannot continue to use wilderness for expanding our power supplies!  the government ridiculously UNDER charges toxic mining, oil-drilling, and power plants for land use (including so-called "renewable" energy plants), then after allowing them to socialize all their costs and privatize all their profits, lets them GROSSLY pollute, then doesn't make them pay any penalties.

BLM and other public lands need to be preserved as open spaces without development, period.  the need to "stimulate" investment in mining and power has looooong since passed.  utilities need to use only previously developed land for renewable power, starting with our roofs, and stop getting a cheapie deal which costs us, the inhabitants of the planet, way too much, while only benefiting Big Power.