Living Life in the ‘Kill Zone’ Can be Scary


Morgantown Dominion Post OPINION
9 November 2009

SOUNDS SCARY doesn’t it?

It’s real scary when the creek that runs through the middle of your community and your life becomes known as “the kill zone”.

Dunkard Creek changed its color in August and September. It started to look like a discharge stream for Lipton Tea. It was kind of a pretty color if it weren’t for all the dead fish. Two-, three- and four-foot long muskies lying belly up beside their smaller fish brethren. It was and still is scary.

Rumors of dogs dying after drinking from Dunkard were running wild. People talking of dead wildlife lying along the creek banks. Wadestown to Wana through Brave, Blacksville and Pentress, down Buckeye Road to Mount Morris and beyond to Taylortown and Bobtown — fear and confusion. Who knew what was going on? Scary.

We searched for information. What’s up? Are people in danger? Is this the only place this is happening? Is our drinking water safe?”

Trucks and cars with government plates and people with yellow suits, gloves and sometimes masks climbing in and out of Dunkard daily. Scary stuff to an area that’s not used to getting so much attention.

When and where was information going to come our way? The Dominion Post carried stories and tried to provide answers, but it seemed officials weren’t releasing much information. A lot of friends and family were disappointed and still are that no one communicated with us on a local level.

On Oct. 9, I attended the 11th annual Mon Water Quality Forum in Morgantown. Thank goodness for the people from the Upper Mon River Association and Mon River Recreation and Commerce Committee. Someone was watching, and they wanted answers.

The meeting was well run, and a lot of information was disseminated. West Virginia and Pennsylvania environmental and natural resources types were there and made presentations. Unfortunately no culprit was identified after almost two months of investigating, but information was released.

A cause was identified, golden algae, but how or why it got into our creek is at the heart of the investigation. A criminal investigation was also reported to be taking place.

Did I feel better after the meeting? Hard to say. It wasn’t easy hearing the stream that runs through your community being called a “kill zone.” It makes you wonder about all the trucks we saw backing up to the edge of Dunkard with hoses running down the bank. Didn’t see much of that when all the government vehicles were here. Maybe those trucks were the scary part.

Since the meeting, one of the local coal companies has been cited for dumping deep gas well water into the closed Blacksville No. 1 mine. Maybe that’s part of the problem but it sure is down stream from a lot of the “zone”.

To all of us who grew up swimming and fishing Dunkard’s waters, it’s like we’ve lost a friend. Something we thought would always be there has been taken away. Very scary.


KEN OWENS is a lifetime resident of western Monongalia County, is employed by PACE TEC and is a member of The Dominion Post’s Community Advisory Board.