Water Testing, Health Problems In Boone County

In July, members and supporters of Sludge Safety Project met with scientists who sampled water wells and streams along Prenter Road (Rt. 5) in Boone County.

	New toilets in the Prenter area quickly turn into biology experiments.

About 12 homes were tested as part of an effort to address peoples concerns that polluted groundwater may be affecting their health. The testing is part of a community partnership with an EPA Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) grant.

After the day of testing, local residents met to prioritize environmental concerns that could be addressed with the CARE partnership.

Foremost on peoples minds was the need for emergency water in the community.

Many people were concerned about the hazardous substances used in the coal mining process and the lack of accountability for the use and disposal of these chemicals.

  A nurse who has been conducting health evaluations with Prenter-area people has recorded 80 people with gall bladder disease. The nurse has observed about 3 percent of the population around the Charleston area having the disease, whereas 98 percent of all the folks she has seen from the Prenter area have the disease.  

Children in the area are having their teeth literally dissolve, and people fear that the bad water is the cause of this grave problem.  

People living near Lavinia Creek have reported thick layers of foam coursing down the stream at times, likely from the mining activity because no one lives in the area where the foam is originating.

Sludge Safety Project will continue to work with Prenter-area folks to demand clean water.