Bad Water

Coal Sludge and Groundwater Don't Mix

by Patricia Feeney

Near Williamson, WV, in the communities of Rawl, Sprigg, Merrimac and Lick Creek, residents claim they have had problems with their well water for more than a decade.

A tractor-trailer load of emergency water arrives at the Williamson Water Plant. A forklift puts pallets of water onto trucks of community members who volunteer their time and use their own money for gasoline. Water is taken to the Church of God Jesus Christ Name in Rawl, where each pallet has to be off-loaded by hand and stored in a church garage. Community members either come pick up the water themselves, or people again volunteer their time and gasoline to deliver water to their neighbors who are too sick to pick up the water themselves.

They say their water was sweet and clean before a coal preparation plant began injecting coal sludge underground into abandoned mines in the area. Now many people have liver and kidney problems, various forms of cancer and skin rashes – health problems associated with long-term exposure to high levels of arsenic, lead, manganese, selenium, and other toxins that scientists have found in area well water.

This past legislative session, people spoke out at the State Capitol. With the support of the Sludge Safety Project, Mingo County residents succeeded in raising awareness about the dangers of coal sludge dams and the life-threatening effects of injected coal sludge, which some believe has contaminated their groundwater.

Neighbors have also been educating each other about the effects of the contamination on their health. Several women published a community newsletter, Clean Water is Our Right, to encourage their neighbors to get involved.

Because of residents’ efforts to inform their politicians, in February the Governor’s Contingency Fund provided $15,000 to provide 250 families with an emergency supply of drinking water. (The governor, so far, has not responded to resident’s requests for a meeting so they can directly tell him their water worries.) Pallets of bottled water have been delivered every week since then to the Church of God in Jesus Name in Rawl, where residents pick up their ration of drinking water.

“At least 100 of these folks are too sick or too old or they don’t have a car to come pick up the water themselves,” said Billy Sammons of Lick Creek, “so we deliver it. It’s what we have to do if our neighbors are going to have water.”

According to Sammons, families have received between 12 to 24 gallons of water every week, which is supposed to be enough for drinking and cooking needs.

Rev. Larry Brown watches as the church truck is loaded with a pallet of water.

The funds for the emergency water won’t be enough to sustain the communities until long-promised city water lines are laid. Last year, the WV Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) office allocated funds to help extend water lines from the city of Williamson to these families.

Bids on the project were due in November of 2005, but all were over budget, so the AML extended the deadline.

Another call for bids in March this year again came in over budget.

Now there’s yet another call for bids, with an April 18 deadline.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” said preacher Larry Brown, echoing the sentiments of other area residents.

In the meantime, when the water rations run out, folks have no choice but to go against the advice of researchers and use their well water for bathing, along with cooking and drinking.

This sign has been up for about 10 YEARS … the people in these small rural communities have been trying to get city water for about 13 years.