A Wait-and-See Approach
Washington PA Observer-Reporter
30 December 2009
By Jon Stevens, Staff writer
jstevens@observer-reporter.com
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is waiting to see how
Consol Energy meets new requirements to regulate discharges before
relocating fish to Dunkard Creek.
The DNR statement Tuesday comes after the West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection issued an order earlier this month to Consol
that establishes guidelines for the company to resume pumping water
from its underground mining operations that straddle the border between
West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Biologist Frank Jernejcic says it will likely be April before officials
have data on whether the water quality is suitable.
The W.Va. DEP order is a short-term order that would allow pumping
under controlled conditions from the effective date of the order until
it expires on April 30, 2010. It allows Consol to resume pumping to
bring the mine pool to a level that creates possible storage capacity
that can be used as a water management tool during low flow, high
temperature months and ensure the safety of 400 miners working
underground at its Blacksville No. 2 mine.
The DNR plans to relocate some forage fish to the 43-mile long creek
that runs along the Pennsylvania-West Virginia line.
Jernejcic says in time, minnows and other small fish will travel back
to Dunkard on their own.
Consol voluntarily ceased pumping water from the mine works into
Dunkard Creek in cooperation with the multi-state investigation of the
cause of a major fish kill that spanned more than 40 miles of the
stream.
Based on information concerning the conditions favorable to the growth
of golden algae, the probability for an algae bloom increases when the
water temperature rises above 50 degrees. Therefore, when the water
temperature is 50 degrees or higher, the in-stream limit that must be
met by Consol is 860 milligrams per liter, which is the acute water
quality standard for chloride in West Virginia.
Consol spokesman Joe Cerenzia said earlier the W.Va. DEP order was
"good news" because it allows the company to continue to operate the
mine and ensure the safety of the workers.
"The final details have to be worked out, but we are looking at early
January, perhaps the first full week, to begin pumping out the water,"
he said.
Cerenzia said water in the Blacksville mine was approaching critical
levels, and "we were worried about the safety of the miners working
underground."
Cerenzia said a plant "of some type" will treat and remove chlorides
before they are discharged. "That has to be done by May 2013," he said.
"The plant will have devices to monitor the discharge based on
temperature and other factors to make sure we are in compliance," he
said.
Blacksville No. 2 mine water historically has contained high levels of
total dissolved solids, and Consol maintains the higher levels are
apparently naturally present in parts of the coal reserve.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.