Time to Act on Behalf of Buffalo Creek
Fairmont, WV Times-West Virginian - Letters to the Editor
13 December 2009
The citizens of Marion County should be informed that the primary
watershed in the county, Buffalo Creek, is threatened by a toxic alga,
Prymnesium parvum, commonly called Golden Alga. P. parvum is now
generally thought to be the ultimate cause of the extermination of
virtually all fish and fresh water mussels as well as other gill
breathing aquatic life in Dunkard Creek in Monongalia County.
Now we find that local mines are creating a situation on Buffalo Creek
similar to that on Dunkard Creek. On November 27, samples on Buffalo
Creek from East Run Station and including Pyles Fork and Buffalo Fork
showed conductivities ranging from 3000 micro Siemens (uS) to 4800
uS. These conductivities indicate dissolved solids levels of from 1900
milligrams per liter (mg/l) to 3100 mg/l. For a fresh water stream
such as Buffalo Creek conductivity levels of 200 uS to 300 uS are
normal. The high conductivities and dissolved solids put Buffalo
Creek on a list of about 20 streams in West Virginia threatened by P.
parvum, dissolved solids levels of 1400 mg/l or greater are considered
to be conducive to P. parvum blooms.
A sample taken Nov. 27 on Llewellen Run directly downstream of a
local mine’s pump station showed a conductivity of 8500 uS and a
dissolved solids content of 6570 mg/l, chlorides were found to be 690
mg/l and sulfates 2500 mg/l. Llewellen Run upstream of the pump
station showed a conductivity of 252 uS. Llewellen Run flows into Flat
Run which had a conductivity of 7010 uS at it’s mouth. Pyles Fork,
about one quarter of a mile downstream of the mouth of Flat Run had a
conductivity of 4805 uS indicating dissolved solids of 3075 mg/l. Pyles
Fork upstream of Flat Run had a conductivity of 494 uS.
On Nov. 27 Buffalo Creek at Hough Park showed a conductivity of
3140 uS, near the mouth of Whetstone Run the conductivity of Buffalo
Creek was 3754 uS. A sample taken on the creek at the mouth of Huey Run
had a conductivity of 267. A small stream originating on the
old Thorne place from what appeared to be a pumping facility
associated with the Four States mine and flowing directly into Buffalo
Creek was sampled.
This stream had a conductivity of 9250 uS, a dissolved solids of 8170
mg/l, a chloride content of 600 mg/l and a sulfate content of 3910
mg/l. A sample taken below the stream at the cemetery on Buffalo Creek
had a conductivity of 3700 uS indicating dissolved solids of 2368.
The polluted mine waters entering both forks of Buffalo Creek are
creating a saline condition on the creek that is conducive to a P.
parvum bloom. Once a toxic bloom occurs and dead fish appear in the
creek it will be too late to save Buffalo Creek from a fate similar to
that of Dunkard Creek, an essentially dead creek. I do not want this to
happen and I’m sure that most of the citizens of Marion County do not
want to see this happen to Buffalo Creek. Much work has been
expended by citizens of the area to clean up Buffalo Creek. It would be
a tragedy and a significant loss to the community to see the creek
die.
What can be done? Contact the Governor, Buffalo Creek flows through the
back yard of the Governor’s home place in Farmington. Contact the West
Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Contacting the WVDEP
may not do much good since it is the WVDEP’s lack of concern for
protection of the environment that is a large part of the problem.
Contact your representatives in the state and federal governments and
tell them that it is time for the WVDEP to start forcing the coal
industry to adhere to environmental laws that are already on the
books. We must act now!
Paul J. Baker Fairmont