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Investigation into fish kill continues
Kathy Cosco, spokeswoman for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, said Friday that investigators continue to find dead fish in the creek.
One new location dead fish were found, she said, is about 11/2 miles upstream from the Blacksville No. 2 Mine discharge, which earlier was considered a possible source of the pollution.
The mine was believed to have been a source because of high levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) in water at the mine's outfall. Cosco said the Blacksville Mine outfall is still considered a "partial source" though it now cannot be considered responsible for the entire problem.
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They also have reviewed operations at a CNX Gas Co. disposal well at the Morris Run Mine Shaft of Consol Energy's closed Blacksville No. 1 Mine. The well in Greene County was permitted by EPA in 2005 for the disposal of the produced fluid, or brine, from the company's coal bed methane wells.
EPA on Aug. 6 issued an administrative order to CNX assessing a penalty of $157,500 for failing to adequately staff the well site and submit information as required by the permit. The company also allegedly failed to monitor the well's cumulative volume and report noncompliance with its permit.
EPA spokeswoman Bonnie Smith said the matter was separate from the investigation of the fish kill. The agency has issued a consent agreement and final order on the matter, which has just completed a public comment period and should soon be finalized, she said.
The consent agreement noted that between September 2007 and March 2009, at least 100 truckloads of water were disposed of at the site with TDS levels that "varied significantly" from expected levels provided in the permit application and eight truckloads contained E coli bacteria, indicating sewage.
The public notice indicates the company will be required to provide adequate staffing, limit the total dissolved solids levels of injected fluids, verify TDS levels for each truckload of fluid, conduct random samplings and prevent commingling of other wastes.
The permit application remains active, though under review. It calls for disposal of coal bed methane well brine in the Pittsburgh seam coal 703 to 710 feet below the surface. Company spokesman Tom Hoffman said the notice speaks for itself. He added the company is cooperating fully with investigative agencies and is conducting its own investigation.
