KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — Coal mine waste has left Fields Creek in eastern Kanawha County running black.
The Department of Environmental Protection said a mining operation, Kanawha Eagle, was cleaning out a sediment pond last week near Chesapeake.
The DEP responded to the area after a hose dislodged as water and sediment were being pumped into a geotextile dewatering bag.
Strawbale dams were established and vacuum trucks were used. As work continued, the geobag ruptured, dumping more sediment.
More enforcement action followed, but area residents are unsure of the impact.
“It had some kind of a smell, like a chemical smell,” resident James Bowles said. “I worked in the mines and have never smelled it before.”
Some neighbors took the spill in stride while other bottled frustrations and planned to take them to the DEP.
Cleanup efforts are underway along Fields Creek in eastern Kanawha County after coal mine waste spilled into the waterway. (WCHS)
Efforts to cleanup the spill continued on Tuesday and the company didn’t want the process on video.
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While the creek is a black mess, the state has not observed any fish kill or impacts to the Kanawha River at this time and will remain onsite through the duration of the cleanup.