The Morgantown Dominion Post today reports that the algae found a few weeks ago in a pond near the West Virginia-Pennsylvania border is not golden algae, an algae that led to a massive fish kill in Dunkard Creek in 2009. Frank Jernejcic, District 1 fisheries biologist for the Division of Natural Resources, revealed the news yesterday. A final resolution has not been issued because those involved want to understand why there was disagreement in initial findings.
CONSOL has monitored the Dunkard watershed area after elevated levels of total dissolved solids caused an algae bloom that released a toxin killing most of the aquatic life in Dunkard Creek. Mine discharges from Blacksville No. 2 included possible wastewater from coal mine degassing and fracking flowback water.
In addition to paying $200 million to construct water treatment facilities, violations of the federal Clean Water Act at six West Virginia coal mines has resulted in CONSOL Energy paying $500,000 to restore the fish population in Dunkard Creek. The order entered this week by U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp Jr. finalizes the litigation against CONSOL by both federal and the WV-DEP for violations, some of which apparently took place at mines on Monongalia, Marion, Marshall and Brooke counties.
Point Your RSS Reader to FrackCheckWV.net/feed/
