Sep 25, 2009 6 min read

Environmental agencies conducting an investigation into what killed thousands of fish in Dunkard Creek are looking at a variety of possible causes, including rust-colored cloudy water in the stream’s headwaters in West Virginia. Authorities in Pennsylvania and West Virginia have not yet determined what caused the massive fish kill, which was first detected in West Virginia on Sept. 1. Dead fish, mussels and salamanders have been found in 30 miles of the creek in both states.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also is involved in the investigation.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, which is leading the investigation, said several causes could have contributed to the fish kill.

Mine discharges, well-drilling wastewater, algae and rust-colored cloudy water found in the South Fork of the West Virginia fork of the creek during a flyover last week are being investigated.

“This situation is different from past fish kills the agency has responded to,” said Michael Zeto, West Virginia DEP’s chief of environmental enforcement. “Typically, there is a chemical or physical characteristic that points to a single source. Then, we deal with who is responsible from there. However, this fish kill may have several possibilities that could be contributing to the cause.”

The Pennsylvania DEP said the discharge, which has killed at least 18 species of fish and at least 16 species of freshwater mussels, originated in West Virginia and contains high levels of total dissolved solids (TDS).

Since receiving a report of the fish kill on Sept. 8, the Pennsylvania DEP has been collecting water samples to track the flow of the pollutant and its impact on the creek, while the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has established multiple sampling stations to conduct biological assessments that include counts of dead aquatic life and the condition of living fish in the stream.

“The damage done to Dunkard Creek is substantial and tragic. The (Pennsylvania) DEP will continue to monitor water quality so that when the responsible party is determined by West Virginia and the EPA, we are positioned to take appropriate enforcement action,” said Ronald Schwartz, Southwest DEP acting regional director. “We appreciate the continued cooperation and efforts by West Virginia and EPA officials.”

“It’s going to take years to recover. There were a lot of older fish in the stream. They’ll have to repopulate. It will take quite some time,” said Pennsylvania DEP spokeswoman Helen Humphreys.

Many large muskies were among the dead fish.

“Our staff has documented numerous species of game fish killed by the pollution event, including muskellunge, smallmouth bass, and flathead catfish, and various species of redhorses, minnows, darters, freshwater mussels, and mudpuppies – also known as aquatic salamanders,” said Emil Svetahor, law enforcement manager with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s Southwest Regional office. “We are working closely with DEP and other partners to conduct the ongoing investigation.”

Hard facts are needed before any legal action can be taken, Humphreys said.

“We can’t just point fingers. There has to be facts to back it up, so we are continuing to collect data,” Humphries said. “The source has to be determined and stopped. That’s the first step everybody’s focused on right now.”

On Sept. 18, the West Virginia DEP staff flew over the creek in a helicopter to look for anything they missed on the ground.

The staff found the stream was clouded with a rust color from a beaver dam in the South Fork of the West Virginia fork of Dunkard Creek downstream to the Pennsylvania border.

As a result, additional staff was brought in to take water samples.

Residents in Greene County reported seeing murky, discolored water last week.

The West Virginia and Pennsylvania forks of Dunkard Creek merge to form Dunkard Creek in Shamrock, Greene County, to form the main stem of Dunkard Creek, which meanders nearly 38 miles along the border of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, before its confluence with the Monongahela River just downstream of Point Marion.

In addition to the South Fork study, investigators in West Virginia are working with microbiologists to help determine if some type of algae or similar growth may be a contributing factor. Algae sometimes produces toxins and certain conditions can cause harmful algae blooms, according to the West Virginia DEP.

Mining was an early suspect due to heavy mining activity in the area.

Consol Energy agreed to shut off the discharge into the creek from its Blacksville No. 2 mine in West Virginia. But as the discharge pumps were being shut off, dead fish were found upstream from the outlet, according to the West Virginia DEP.

Inspectors checked mine pools from previous mining activity that are often sources of acid mine drainage, but water levels in the area are hundreds of feet below the stream’s elevation due to the lack of rain in recent weeks.

The agencies are continuing to investigate reports from area residents that tanker trucks have dumped wastewater from oil and gas drilling into the creek.

“We have found that those trucks that have been reported are withdrawing water from the stream, rather than dumping wastewater,” Zeto said.

Officials with the Pennsylvania DEP saw a truck withdrawing water during one of their visits to the stream, Humphreys said. The truck operator agreed to stop taking water from the creek, she said.

“People think that West Virginia and Pennsylvania have the same regulations regarding the disposal of oil and gas wastewater, but we do not,” said Scott Mandirola, the West Virginia DEP’s director of water and waste management. “West Virginia currently has no wastewater treatment plants permitted to accept oil and gas fluid.”

“The bottom line is we are working diligently to determine all potential causes and put a stop to whatever it is that’s killing the aquatic life in Dunkard Creek. Given that we are investigating several possibilities, it is taking longer to solve than fish kills normally encountered. This one is different from any that we’ve had in recent memory,” Zeto said.

The West Virginia DEP, West Virginia DNR, Pennsylvania DEP, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and West Virginia University are working together in the investigation.