The Only Alternative Was Closing Mine
Washington. PA Observer-Reporter
28 December 2009
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has approved an
order that will allow Consol Energy Inc. to resume pumping water from
its Blacksville No. 2 Mine into Dunkard Creek.
Consol voluntarily halted the mine-water discharge on Sept. 17 during
an investigation by state and federal environmental agencies of a
massive fish kill that eventually spanned a 43-mile section of the
creek.
Agencies agree the kill was caused by a toxic bloom of golden algae, an
organism not common to this area but found mainly in salty water or
water high in total dissolved solids.
They also agreed conditions for the algae to thrive were created by
high levels of total dissolved solids in the stream from mine-water
discharges. High levels of total dissolved solids and chlorides were
found in the Blacksville No. 2 discharge.
Consol sought approval from W.Va. DEP to resume pumping water from the
mine to protect the safety of the mine's work force. The agency
approved a plan that will allow Consol to discharge mine water for the
short term, until April 30, under certain conditions.
The order basically requires the company to reduce its chloride
discharge levels as creek water temperatures warm to reduce the chances
of another algae bloom.
The probability for a bloom increases when water temperatures rise
above 50 degrees, the agency said.
Under the order, Consol should be able to lower the mine pool to a
level that creates storage capacity in the mine that can be used to
manage discharges during the high-temperature months.
For the long term, the order also requires the company to construct a
plant to treat the discharges by May 31, 2013. However, we should note,
the company was required by a previous W.Va. DEP compliance order to
reduce chlorides in its discharges by 2013.
Though everyone would agree the mine water should be treated for total
dissolved solids and chlorides before it is discharged, for now, there
appears to be no alternative to this plan short of closing the mine.
A plant to remove total dissolved solids from the mine water would take
time to design and build, and the volume of water in the mine is said
to be too great to truck to existing plants.
We only hope discharges allowed under the order won't cause further
damage to the creek. Many people already have blamed environmental
agencies for the conditions that led to the fish kill; we don't think
they want further blame placed on their heads.