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