build and operate a 150 acre industrial landfill about 1 mile south of
Bruceton Mills, in the Big Sandy sub-watershed (please see attached
map). The WV Department of Environmental Protection has been informed
about this potential project, but has yet to receive the Class F
industrial landfill permit application. Friends of the Cheat was advised
to contact the Preston County Solid Waste Authority to find out more
information, but has yet to receive a response. We were also informed
that local landowners may have already sold land in the areas of
interest but we do not know this for certain.
According to the information provided to Friends of the Cheat, the
landfill, a proposed solid waste facility, would serve as a disposal
site for residual brine from natural gas drilling operations. Residual
brine is a term for a by-product of Marcellus shale drilling,
specifically a process called hydro fracturing or fracing. Water
recovered from the fracing process contains a variety of proprietary
compounds in addition to high levels of salt. The environmental impacts
of these fluids is yet to be determined and many aspects of the process
is currently unregulated here in West Virginia. Other pollutant threats
include sediment from construction and increased truck traffic.
Friends of the Cheat is concerned about this potential development. The
Big Sandy sub-watershed was the first local area successfully restored
from the impacts of abandoned mine drainage (AMD) pollution. A
collaboration of partners, agencies, and individuals logged many hours
and contributed millions of dollars to bring the Sandy back. This
success story was recently highlighted in Trout Unlimited's report,
"Restoring the Wealth of the Mountains: Cleaning Up Appalachia's
Abandoned Mines":
http://www.tu.org/atf/cf/%7BED0023C4-EA23-4396-9371-8509DC5B4953%7D/TU%20AMD%20report.pdf
“The Little Sandy doesn’t look like most streams polluted by mine
drainage,” says Bill Thorne of the TU P. Pendleton Kennedy Chapter. “It
looks like a healthy stream lined with boulders, riffles and good forest
canopy.” The Little Sandy used to hold thriving trout populations, but
extensive mining in the middle of the 20th century led to their demise.
“A lot of people looked at us like we were crazy for trying to bring
back Little Sandy, because they thought the stream would be dead
forever,” says Thorne. “But a few of us saw that the water’s worst was
in its past and that we could help it in the future.”
Working through the River of Promise framework, several mine drainage
treatment technologies were installed along the Little Sandy and its
feeder streams during the late 1990s. Notably, several of these projects
were made possible by the OSM Appalachian Clean Streams Initiative. The
National Mine Lands Reclamation Center at West Virginia University was
also a key player, adding both the experience and ability that come from
years of exploring mine drainage issues. These combined efforts paid
off. In 2002, state fisheries biologists discovered many
young-of-the-year brook trout in a Little Sandy tributary to which a
team of volunteers, including many TU members, had transferred brook
trout during the preceding year. Because brook trout cannot survive
without clean, cold water, the fact that natural reproduction was
occurring was a significant sign of progress for the watershed.
In addition to providing habitat for West Virginia's most popular game
fish and state fish, the brook trout, the Big Sandy is a getaway for
whitewater enthusiasts. Referred to as "a pristine whitewater
jewel...unlike anything else on the east coast," the Sandy hosts a
variety of rapids that will challenge top notch kayakers (lower Sandy)
and entertain the family (upper Sandy).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RVqglTw-6Q&feature=channel
The Big Sandy and its tributaries also provide valuable fresh water
resources to the local community, which includes some of Preston
County's most valued farm land.
Friends of the Cheat encourages concerned individuals and groups to stay
informed and ask questions about the proposed landfill. The permitting
process requires public meetings, but it is imperative that the research
and conversations begin now so everyone is prepared for a healthy
discussion based on facts. Please distribute this e-mail and information
to community members, fisherman, boaters, environmental advocates and
anybody downstream so we can work together to protect the Sandy.
Sincerely,
Amanda Pitzer
Executive Director
Friends of the Cheat