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Marshall Miller representative Ronald Mullennes (center) explains his analysis of CONSOl's plan to discharge mine water into the Levisa River to members of Grundy Town Council. Mullennes said it was likely aquatic creatures would avoid the area of the river affected by the discharged water. (Staff photo/Scotty Wampler.) |
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Town Consultant on CONSOL Permit Says Fish Kill Not Likely
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by Scotty Wampler
Staff Reporter |
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Certain aquatic creatures may avoid part of the Levisa River if CONSOL begins discharging mine water there, Grundy Town Council learned last week.
Marshall Miller representative Ronald Mullennes addressed the council Tuesday, February 14 after analyzing the potential effects of CONSOL’s plan on
the body of water.
Mullennes’ firm was recently hired by the Grundy Industrial Development Authority to perform the tests.
“It’s possible certain aquatic life won’t inhabit that area of the river,” Mullennes said, confirming the presence of chloride in his test results. “I don’t expect to see any fish kills. [But] they certainly may avoid that area while [CONSOL is] discharging.”
The mining company is seeking to discharge water from the Buchanan No. 1 mine into the Levisa River, having filed a permit request with the Department of Mines Minerals and Energy. If the permit is approved, CONSOL intends to construct a system to discharge the water near Poetown.
“There is going to be an impact here,” Mullennes said. “It’s going to be a zone that’s almost three-quarters of a mile long,” he said of the area of the river that will be affected by the discharged water.
Mullennes said it appears as though there will be no foul odor produced by the discharged water, which had been a main concern of those familiar with the plan.
Hydrogen sulphide, which would’ve been the primary source of an odor, was not found in Mullenes’ sample.
“I tested the water for hydrogen sulphide and got no detection of that,” he said, further stating that any concerns the public may have about the water being “toxic” are unfounded. “[The water doesn’t] exceed acute standards, something that would be toxic.”
However, it was alleged two weeks ago at a meeting of the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors that the mine water may be exposed to certain toxic chemicals if pumped through the VP-3 mine, which isn’t currently in use. CONSOL has proposed pumping water from Buchanan No. 1 to VP-3 and from there to pump it via pipeline to the Poetown discharge site |
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For more of the
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Drug Policy Won't Recognize Methadone Clinics
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by
Cathy
St.
Clair
News
Editor |
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A
school
board
drug
testing
policy
now
under
development
will
not
recognize
methadone
and
methadone
clinics
as
an
acceptable
form
of
substance
abuse
treatment
due
to
action
by
the
Buchanan
County
School
Board,
Monday
night.
North Grundy School Board Member David Thornbury,
who
serves
as
chairman
of
the
drug
testing
policy
committee,
asked
school
board
members
for
direction
on
the
issue,
making
a
motion
to
effectively
ban
methadone
as
acceptable.
He had suggested the same measure in a drug
testing
policy
committee
meeting
last
week
(see
related
story,
this
issue),
but
instead
of
agreeing
to
it,
that
committee
had
opted
to
think
about
the
issue
until
it
met
again
next
month.
In the meantime, Thornbury presented
the
issue
to
the
full
board,
which
will
ultimately
be
the
public
body
charged
with
the
decision
of
whether
to
adopt
any
policy
which
is
recommended
by
the
committee.
He
asked
for
guidance
from
the
board.
Thornbury said the committee had
met
twice
and
was
methodically
moving
forward
through
the
policy
and
making
progress.
He
noted
that
the
policy
now
under
development
calls
for
100
percent
pre-employment
testing;
and
random
testing
ranging
from
suggestions
to
make
it
15
to
25
percent
of
employees,
although
the
current
stated
percentage
is
20
percent.
He
suggested
the
budget
committee
needed
to
look
at
funding
the
testing
and
to
let
the
policy
committee
know
the
numbers
at
which
it
arrives.
In making the motion to rule that methadone
is
not
acceptable,
Thornbury
noted
he
had
talked
with
Circuit
Judge
Bob
Williams
on
the
issue
and
he
said
his
discussion
with
Williams
had
helped
him.
He
said
it
was
his
understanding
that
the
court
doesn’t
recognize
methadone
clinics
as
acceptable
treat-ment
and
he
said
the
drug
policy
committee
was
"in
a
quandary
about
what
to
do.
I’m
looking
for
board
direction,"
he
added.
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For more of the
story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at
newsstands now. To subscribe to the Mountaineer,
call 276-935-2123 today.
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