Take the Stink Out of Cheat Lake Area


Morgantown Dominion Post Letter to the Editor
22 November 2009

Thank goodness summer is finally over and the residents of Cheat Lake, who live in the area of the Cheat Lake Sewage Treatment Plant, will not want to sit outside on beautiful starlit evenings.

The Dominion Post recently reported that MUB won two awards from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. One of these awards was for the Cheat Lake Facility. I am pleased the award was based on water treatment and not for the quality of air surrounding the plant, since our plant STINKS. It is difficult to enjoy our porches or patios due to the foul odor of sewage from the Treatment Plant. I have even heard customers of the Lake House, who would like to use their deck to enjoy an evening meal, complain about the odor.

The Cheat Lake water and sewage rates have long been higher than the rest of the area. Is it unreasonable to ask for pleasant ambient air for that higher rate? Sewage treatment plants in other areas dome their facilities to eliminate the air quality issues.

MUB Officials, when questioned, have responded with “Oh, are you having problems there?” or that it would be “very expensive to eliminate the odors.”

Please contact MUB Board Members (their identities are listed on the MUB Web site) or Mr. Jim Green (General Manager of MUB) to express your dissatisfaction about the odor emanating from the plant. If anyone has connections with the EPA or the Public Service Commission, please help by asking them to attempt to sit one warm summer evening near the Sewage Treatment Plant.

Perhaps Mr. Green could use part of the 2 percent loan from the Economic Stimulus Money to better our community. I ask that residents sign the petition, currently being circulated, requesting the elimination of odors from the Cheat Lake Community. Copies of this petition are currently available at the Mini Mart at Ashebrooke Square and at Ruby and Ketchy’s Restaurant. Here’s looking forward to more enjoyable summer evenings in the future.
   
Larry Roberts
Cheat Lake