Corsa Coal agrees to settle lawsuitPITTSBURGH — Corsa Coal is agreeing to pay $6.5 million to settle a federal lawsuit claiming that mines, processing and shipping facilities it owns in three Western Pennsylvania counties exceeded wastewater pollution limits into streams and rivers.An agreement filed Thursday in federal court in Johnstown said the $6.5 million from Corsa Coal will be split between the federal government and the state.Corsa Coal’s CEO George Dethlefsen says most of the violations occurred before Corsa bought PBS Coals and its affiliates in 2014.The money is to come from an escrow account set up for such liabilities when Toronto-based Corsa Coal bought PBS Coals.

$11.4M fine against Uber reinstated HARRISBURG — After they agreed to reconsider it, Pennsylvania utility regulators have voted again to impose a record-setting $11.4 million fine they imposed on ride-hailing company Uber.Thursday’s vote by the Public Utility Commission comes four months after the original vote to fine San Francisco-based Uber for operating in Pennsylvania for six months in 2014 without the required approval.Commissioners had criticized Uber for continuing to operate for a month even after being issued a cease-and-desist order and for what were described as obstructive actions during the agency’s investigation.Uber appealed the original fine, while Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and top state lawmakers had urged the commission to reduce it. The commission agreed in June to conduct a rehearing.

Apple has billions aside for U.S. taxesLONDON — Apple’s chief executive says the company has put aside “several billion dollars” to pay tax liabilities in the United States as it repatriates some of its huge overseas earnings.Tim Cook told Irish state network RTE in an interview broadcast Thursday that the money, part of profits from 2014, should be brought back to the U.S. next year. He did not specify how much would be repatriated.Apple holds nearly $215 billion in cash and securities outside the U.S., much of that generated by its Irish subsidiaries. Cook has complained in the past that high U.S. taxes have discouraged the company from bringing those earnings home.This week, the European Union ordered the company based in Cupertino, California, to pay $14.5 billion in back taxes to Ireland plus billions more in interest.

Wal-Mart to cut 7,000 back-office jobsNEW YORK — Wal-Mart is cutting about 7,000 back-office store jobs over the next few months as it centralizes its invoice and accounting departments, expanding a test it announced in June.The nation’s largest private employer said Thursday that the cuts will take place in all its namesake stores, confirming the move reported by The Wall Street Journal. The goal is to get workers out of the backrooms and onto the selling floors as Wal-Mart faces increasing competition from online leader Amazon.com.