MORGANTOWN — Terry Fletcher, chief communications officer for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, said the white plume visible in Deckers Creek on Monday was the result of a malfunction at the Richard Mine Treatment Facility, which treats acid mine drainage from the former Richard Mine.
“The drainage coming from the mine has a low pH, and the treatment system adds a lime mixture to raise the pH and help remove dissolved metals from the water,” Fletcher explained. “The lime mixture lines became clogged, which allowed untreated mine water to discharge into Deckers Creek. During repair activities, the clogged lime mixture lines were flushed, resulting in the temporary white plume observed in the stream.
According to Fletcher, WVDEP staff have completed the necessary repairs, and the treatment system is operating as designed. The agency is also evaluating additional measures to help prevent similar issues in the future.
“WVDEP staff conducted visual inspections which indicated stream conditions have returned to normal, and no fish kill was observed. However, low-pH water can stress fish and other aquatic life,” Fletcher said, noting, “There are no public water intakes downstream of the facility in West Virginia.”
