PSD Selects Site #7

George Phillips - President, Eight Rivers Safe Development, Inc.
William D. (Bill) Turner, Esq. - Pyles Turner & Mick, LLP

Cass, WV - Tuesday night's meeting of the Pocahontas Public Service District was attended by over 48 concerned anglers, cavers and local residents - very much overwhelming the small Pocahontas PSD office on Back Mountain Road near Durbin.

The media - The Pocahontas Times, WVMR and WCHS-TV (Charleston)- was also present to cover the meeting.

Back in April, the the Pocahontas County Public Service District Board announced, after a nudge (resolution) from the Pocahontas County Commission, that it would not use eminent domain/condemnation as an option and abandoned the Sharp Farm site. The PSD and Thrasher Engineering then began re-visiting site selection for the propposed regional sewage plant.

After several meetings at which public input was solicited / offered, on Tues night (7/29/08), the Pocahontas County Public Service District Board met at its tiny office in Durbin, WV to discuss / decide a recommended site for the regional sewage treatment plant.

After reopening the site selection process, three sites have been considered. These sites include land owned by the State Rail Authority (downstream from Beckwith Lumber), referred to as:

1) Site #5 located at the junction of the Big Spring Fork and Old Field Fork (behind Beckwith Lumber) where the Elk River begins. This site Thrasher considers buildable but likely at a higher cost than Site #7.

2) Site #6 located two miles south of Linwood, across U.S. Route 219 from the Big Spring Fork's Split Rock pools and the Morning Glory Inn (this site eventually was deemed unsuitable by Thrasher due to karst concerns).

3) Site #7 along Snowshoe Drive at the base of the ski resort mountain, near the resort's "Forever Wild" sign, and discharges into Cup Run (a trib of Big Spring Fork, which runs into the Elk).

All three Board members, Scott Millican, William Rexrode, and Mark Smith, were present for the 7/29 meeting. The Board already had heard over 2 hours of public comment at a 7/16/08 meeting at Snowshoe resort (this in a large meeting room with a group that at times bordered on an angry mob).

The 7/29/08 meeting was held in the PSD's "office", a tiny space with seating for 12 members of the public maximum, which tended to put a damper on public participation / comment. Notwithstanding the miniscule meeting space, over 48 concerned anglers, cavers and local residents (most of whom had to stand outside until called in to comment) turned out. The meeting started with a public comment period; the speakers allowed were those who signed up before the meeting started; and each speaker was allowed only 5 minutes.

All commenters who spoke expressed strong opposition toward the location of the regional sewage plant on Site #5.

The Elk River is the only river in WV that boasts natural reproduction of all 3 major trout species, and concerns expressed included the threat to the downstream reproducing brown, rainbow and brook trout. Like the Sharp Farm site, Site #5 would have required a 4-5 mile long pipeline of raw sewage thru the karst-underlain Big Spring Fork valley - which contains 68 knowns caves/springs which provide cold, clean water to the trout fishery downstream.

Previously, Eight Rivers had advanced a two-plant solution to the region's sewage treatment needs, with a larger plant up on the mountain, discharging into Shavers Fork (from where the water is drawn for the resort), and a smaller plant at Linwood, discharging into Big Spring Fork.

In our 7/29 comments, Eight Rivers presented comments/clarifications on Thrasher Engineering's recent cost analysis of Eight Rivers' two-plant / PSD proposal (which we had gotten on a FOIA request to the PSD).

We requested the PSD give serious consideration to the two plant/two PSD proposal as an alternative to a single large regional plant. Eight Rivers also stressed that regardless of which site / technology was selected that the environmental review process as required in the West Virginia State Code and Code of State Rules must be followed by the project - this should include the preparation of a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement by the WV DEP. The Elk River watershed - with its beautiful scenery, unique hydrology and geology, reproducing trout habitat, caves, springs and underground streams/rivers, and endless recreational opportunities - certainly deserves no less.

After the public comments, the PSD members conducted other routine business and closed the meeting with a vote on site selection. Board member Scott Millican made a motion to vote on and approve the selection of Site #5 (he already had stated his preference for this site on 7/16). Millican's motion was not seconded at the 7/29 meeting.

Board member Bill Rexrode stated that he had visited both Site #5 and Site #7 and he thought Site #7 looked better. Board member Mark Smith stated he had discussed the possibility of having a pipeline to pump sewage up the Big Spring Fork valley to Site #7 - which would enable future development in the valley - and that Thrasher Engineering had indicated this was possible. Smith also expressed concern about the risk of a raw sewage pipeline running 5 miles down the karst valley to Site #5. Site #7 then was approved with a 2 to 1 vote.

Although Eight Rivers does not endorse a single plant solution, Site #7 certainly is a better choice than Site #5. Site #7 is not without some risk however.

Site #5 was classified as a high risk site by Thrasher Engineering and their consultants. It certainly presented a higher risk to the long-term safey/integrity of the wastewater treatment plant facility and the Elk headwaters watershed due to

1.) High risk of surface flooding due to site being located in 100 year flood plain.

2.) Voids and subsurface flow under the site represents a risk of collapse to equipment / buildings.

3.) Potential for irreversible damage to the watershed/trout habitat due to a pipeline failure or leaks into the karst in the Big Spring Fork valley.

Site #7, however, is far from ideal. There still is a risk of plant misoperation or bypassing which could result in sewage entering the karst and downstream caves/springs.

Eight Rivers certainly will be concerned and take an active interest with any plan to pump sewage in a pressurized pipeline up the Big Spring Fork valley to Site #7 as this presents a similar (or greater) contamination potential as a gravity flow pipeline to Site #5.

Many at the meeting, including Eight Rivers, expressed they would like to see a new membrane biological reactor (MBR) plant built on Cheat Mountain to serve both Silver Creek and Snowshoe Ski resorts. This may be the lowest cost solution for the mountain communities and may generate some spin-off opportunities that would benefit both Snowshoe/Silver Creek and the environment. This would allow the Elk Headwaters Watershed Association to complete the development of the Upper Elk Watershed Plan so that this plan can be used as input for defining what wastewater treatment solution would be appropriate for the Linwood / Slatyfork area.

Eight Rivers Safe Development, Inc. will continue - along with others - to advocate the benefits and advantages of a new MBR plant serving both the Snowshoe / Silver Creek communities.

We would like to thank everyone who participated in and provided input/comments at the meeting.

We hope that you will continue to follow the progress of this project as it moves forward.