Captina Coal Slurry Spill Update - 11/9/10

Nearly five weeks have passed since a pressurized transfer pipe containing coal slurry burst in a hayfield next to Captina Creek in extreme eastern Wayne Township spilling the waste into the mainstem of the creek.  Although the intensive cleanup process ceased over two weeks ago, remnants of the spill can still be observed as far as a mile downstream of the burst.  The last earthen dike has been removed from the spill zone allowing water to freely move downstream.  Hindering the natural cleanup of the spill is the slurry sediment itself.  It is relatively dense and sticky in texture making it difficult to remove from substrate in the creekbed.   As mentioned previously several more heavy precipitation events are needed to dilute the slurry in this section of streambed. 

The slurry's texture makes it difficult to remove from sediment in
the creekbed.  This location is approximately 3/4 of a mile down-
stream from the burst pipe.

Since the spill there has only been one precipitation event totaling
over 1/2 inch in the watershed.  Though the rocks aren't
black from the slurry anymore, they still retain a grayish
coating.

A haybale dam occupied this space a couple of weeks ago.  The
water itself is clear but slurry remains on the rocks.