The Environmental Protection Agency has fined the Rix's Creek coal mine's operator over an illegal dump of groundwater from old underground workings at its Singleton mine.

The environmental watchdog said high-salinity groundwater, which seeps into underground mine workings or is extracted to allow for mining operations, was discharged from an uncapped bore at the Hunter Valley mine in June.

The water spilled into a nearby dam, and from there flowed into Stonequarry Gully and into a tributary of the Hunter River.

The EPA said a submersible pump, normally used to return seepage water from the dam to the mine's water management system, was not working.

Owner and operator the Bloomfield Group was fined $30,000 over the breach. It has since capped the bore and restarted the pump to "reduce

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