Consol May Resume Pumping at Blacksville No. 2 Soon
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
9 December 2009
By Ben Adducchio
December 9, 2009 · The West Virginia Department of Environmental
Protection says they are close to finalizing a new order that would
allow Consol Energy to resume pumping mine water into Dunkard Creek.
Consol stopped pumping water from its Blacksville No. 2 mine into the
creek in mid-September, during a massive fish kill.
Last week at a public meeting, Consol officials said water levels in
the Blacksville No. 2 mine were approaching a critical level and they
expressed concern about the safety of miners working underground there.
The West Virginia DEP says this new order would provide a short term
solution.
Kathy Cosco is the DEP’s spokeswoman.
“Based on the information that we have gleaned from the algae experts
from around the country, we have a window of time here, while the water
temperatures are colder,” she said.
“It is our understanding that the algae typically doesn’t bloom while
the water temperatures are cooler,” she said, “we believe we have a
window of opportunity that will meet the needs of the company to
address their safety concerns,
while also meeting our needs for addressing the water quality in that
stream.”
In September 2002, DEP officials found that Consol was violating water
quality standards by releasing high levels of chloride into streams at
several sites, including two along Dunkard Creek.
Consol is currently under a compliance schedule to reduce the chloride
it discharges by the year 2013.
Cosco would not comment on whether changes would be made to this
compliance schedule.
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boating Commission announced last
week they are handling the Dunkard Creek fish kill as a criminal case.
The case has been forwarded to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s
Office.
Kathy Cosco says no plans have been made to forward this investigation
to the same office in West Virginia.
“We do have environmental enforcement staff as a major part of this
investigation,” she said.
“It is considered an investigation that likely will have some
enforcement parameters in it.”
Last week, the West Virginia DEP confirmed the presence of golden algae
in six West Virginia streams.
At this time, only Dunkard Creek experienced a loss in aquatic life.
In September, dead fish, salamanders and mussels were discovered along
the banks of the creek.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources says up to 22,000 fish
died in the West Virginia section.
Environmental agencies believe toxins from a golden algae bloom killed
the aquatic life.
The Environmental Protection Agency says it is the first documented
case of the golden algae in the Mid-Atlantic States.
This week, the Cheat Lake Environment and Recreation Association sent a
letter to the West Virginia DEP asking them to develop an agenda to
address the high levels of impurities in Dunkard Creek, which some
officials believe
allowed the algae to bloom.
Monongalia County Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer says she is
interested in reintroducing legislation next year that would establish
standards to address this issue.
Consol did not return requests for an interview for this story.