Month: November 2008

The Water Crisis and Long Term Development

Below is a letter that I wrote for The Mountain Eagle that was published on November 12th, 2008. After I wrote this State formally charged Childers Oil and a spokesperson for DOW said the water was “never dangerous.” While I…

Coal Companies Apply for Discharge Permits

Several coal companies are applying for water discharge permits into Letcher County streams. Notices published by the Division of Water today include the following: BLUE MOUNTAIN VENTURES, INCORPORATED, US 119 & Pine Creek Road, Mayking, Kentucky. KPDES No. KYG046134. DNR…

Laborartory Clarifies Gasoline Results

McCoy and McCoy Laboratories now says tests of samples Headwaters Inc took from the Kentucky River are valid, though tap water samples could be incorrect because of the type of bottles used and the tests run. Samples downstream of the…

Gasoline Range Organic Test Suspect

Test results returned on independent samples taken by Headwaters Inc. in the aftermath of a petroleum release into the river at Whitesburg show a detection for gasoline range organics in both the river water downstream of the contamination site, and…

Partial Test Results Returned

McCoy and McCoy Laboratories has returned partial test results for independent water sampling Headwaters Inc. did last week. The tests on water from three locations in the Kentucky River and seven taps spread out of the county and Whitesburg water…

Gasoline Range Test Back

Gasoline Range Organics tests performed by Headwaters Inc. in the wake of contamination of Whitesburg’s water supply are back and will be posted by early Friday. We are still going over the results to be sure we explain them correctly,…

State Cites Childers

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT CABINET Gov. Steven L. Beshear Dr. Len Peters, Secretary Contact: Allison Fleck, Division of Water 502-564-3410 For Immediate Release Department for Environmental Protection issues notice of violation in Whitesburg water contamination incident Don Childers held responsible for…

Headwaters Test Results Due Back

Results of independent tests done by Headwaters Inc. are expected back on Wednesday. We’ll post results here when they arrive. State tests show most contaminants below the minimum detectable level. There are some exceptions, most notably chloroform, which Headwaters board…

Reports and Data

Independent tests for diesel, gasoline and volatile organics conducted on February 19, 2009. These were in response to a spill in the North Fork of the Kentucky River and that led to contamination of the Whitesburg water system. Click here…