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July 14, 2005
OVEC Organizer Cites Sludge Leakage at Marsh Fork
by Adam Brown
Huntington News Network Writer
Huntington, WV (HNN) – As a transplanted West Virginian who has traveled throughout the state, Abraham Mwaura knows the mountains, valleys, hills and hollows that dot the landscape from Martinsburg to McDowell County.
In recent years however, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition organizer has become familiar with a growing feature of the landscape; sludge impoundments.
Sludge, commonly referred to as coal waste, is a mixture of coal tailings, water, rock and chemicals that are left over from the coal cleaning process. The sludge is then stored behind earthen dams. Coal companies reason that the sludge will eventually dry up and the land will be able to be reclaimed.
One sludge impoundment that has recently come under fire is the impoundment at Marsh Fork in Raleigh County. The Marsh Fork sludge impoundment sits about 400 feet behind Marsh Fork Elementary School and holds back 2.8 billion gallons of sludge. It is owned by the Goals Coal Company, a subsidiary of Massey Energy.
"They're claiming the leaks are controlled but when you look at the DEP inspection reports, the leaks are not in the same place," Mwaura said. "There is widespread leakage one month and leakage only at the foot the next. There should not be such a variation if it is controlled."
Ed Wiley, a local activist who helped build the Marsh Fork slurry impoundment said the dam was constructed poorly.
"The compaction (of the earthen dam) wasn't done right and they know it," Wiley said. "There is a soft spot in that dam where they built it on top of another one and when it breaks it will be unlike anything you've ever seen. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when."
Mwaura is quick to cite Massey's past environmental record.
"In 2000, the basin of the (Massey owned) Martin County, Ky. impoundment broke and 309 million gallons of sludge ran into Coldwater Creek and Wolf Creek and eventually went into the Ohio River," Mwaura said. "It is clear that Massey owned operations have more frequent failures."
Wiley said he is concerned about the evacuation procedures at Marsh Fork Elementary School.
"The slurry pond is 400 feet from the school and the kids don't have anywhere to go and no warning system," Wiley said. "They've had ruptures at the processing plant behind the school and one breath of ammonia will kill you."
Earlier this month Wiley staged a one–man sit–in at the state capital complex. Wiley said the purpose of the sit in was to get Gov. Joe Manchin to acknowledge safety hazards on the grounds of Marsh Fork.
"The governor told me he would do everything in his power to look after the interests of the children," Wiley said.
