DEP Expands Probe of Fish Kill
Washington, PA Observer-Reporter
10 October 2009
By Bob Niedbala, Staff writer niedbala@observer-reporter.com
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Concerned it could spread to other streams,
environmental officials are working to gain additional information on
the golden algae believed to have caused the fish kill in Dunkard Creek.
One stream that officials in Pennsylvania are particularly keeping an
eye on is Whiteley Creek, said Ron Schwartz, acting regional director
for the state Department of Environmental Protection's southwest region.
Speaking Friday at a water quality forum sponsored by the Upper
Monongahela River Association, Schwartz said DEP began taking water
samples from Whiteley Creek to test for the algae after conditions
similar to those in Dunkard Creek were found there.
Tests conducted in Whiteley Creek measuring conductivity, an indicator
of total dissolved solids, found levels in the range of those in
Dunkard Creek, about 7,000 microsiemens per centimeter, Schwartz said.
High levels of TDS are believed to contribute to the growth of golden
algae.
A DEP employee placing a conductivity monitor in Whiteley Creek Tuesday
also observed discoloration of the water, though not to the extent that
was seen in Dunkard Creek, Schwartz said.
The employee, in addition, reported a slight rash from contact with the
water, which also could indicate the algae's presence, he said.
West Virginia also has a number of streams exhibiting high TDS levels
that could provide conditions for algae growth, said Pat Campbell,
assistant director for water and waste management for the West Virginia
Department of Environmental Protection.
This makes it extremely important that state agencies get more
information on the particular strain of golden algae that may have
caused the problem in Dunkard Creek, he said.
"We have got to come up to speed even more than we have," Campbell
said, noting tests are being conducted to identify the strain and to
determine what contributes to its growth and how to get rid of it.
The presence of golden algae in Dunkard Creek is the first documented
case of the algae in the mid-Atlantic states, said Frank Borsuk, a
biologist for the Environmental Protection Agency. Mid-Atlantic states
include Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
The algae is normally found in coastal areas where water contains high
levels of TDS and salinity, said Borsuk, whose agency has been
assisting the state agencies in the investigation of the fish kill.
Campbell shared some of the data his agency has gathered so far as part
of its investigation.
"There's been a lot of information collected, but there is still a lot
to come back from the lab," he said.
The department is confident golden algae caused the fish kill but must
identify the particular strain and consider the factors that
contributed to its growth, he said.
Conditions known to contribute to the growth of golden algae that were
present in the creek, Campbell said, include high pH levels, high TDS
levels including chlorides and sulfates and high water temperatures, he
said.
The agencies don't know whether the algae has always been in the stream
and just needed the right conditions to grow or was transported to the
stream by other means, he said.
Campbell provided data comparing the levels of conductivity, sulfate
and chloride in the creek between testing conducted from July 2005 to
June 2006 and the recent fish kill.
Levels of the various contaminants had generally increased in the creek
but particularly at the discharge for the Blacksville No. 2 Mine. For
example, conductivity between July 2005 and June 2006 at Blacksville
No. 2 was between 1,900 and 6,500 microsiemens per centimeter; samples
during the kill measured as high as 33,800 microsiemens per centimeter.
It was noted the fish kill also occurred upstream from the discharge.
The forum was held to give various agencies involved in the
investigation a chance to share information with the public. The West
Virginia Division of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and West Virginia Water Research Institute also presented reports.