Summer Solstice Sludge Tour - Brushy Fork Sludge Impoundment

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Photos by Vivian Stockman

On June 21, 2001, some members of OVEC and Coal River Mountain Watch toured the massive 645 acre Brushy Fork coal slurry impoundment.

Brushy Fork Slurry Impoundment, operated by Marfolk Coal, a subsidiary of Massey Energy, is located in extreme westernmost Raleigh County, West Virginia. Brushy Fork is a tributary of Little Marsh Fork, that flows into Marsh Fork, comprising part of the headwaters of the Coal River upstream of Whitesville.

For permission to use photos(non-profit groups, school, students, low-income organization) or to purchase one-time photo-use rights (for-profit groups) contact vivian@ohvec.org. Original digital images may be available on request.

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: The Brushy Fork Slurry Lake – photo taken from the crest of the dam.

: Upstream face of waste rock dam in foreground, strip bench in background. Allowing mining to continue, including blasting to remove overburden was …

: Denuded area of the forest represents the planned area of expansion on the Brushy Fork permit, where eventually Marfork wants to deposit additional…

: Slurry line, that brings slurry process wastewater with many fine grained materials from the prep plant and coal cleaning efforts, depositing the s…

: Coarse waste rock is used to construct the dam. At Brushy Fork over 8 million tons of waste rock were generated in 2000, to produce less than 8 mil…

: Waste rock conveyor belt junction.

: Conveyor belts bring waste rock up to the top of the dam crest, where it spills into stockpiles. Dozers then take the waste rock, spread, and (supp…

: Preparing for compaction of waste rock in the dam, where ,of course, dozers will meticulously compact the waste rock in uniform 2 -foot lifts (laye…

: Area of the pond where water is decanted off the top, with booms to assist in blocking suspended materials or floating oils from the water that is …

: No coarse rock is supposed to be added to the slurry pond, as fine grains are supposed to settle uniformly to the bottom

: One branch of the slurry lake. No vegetation is supposed to be included in the slurry pond, as it could later decompose and leave voids which coul…

: Surface mining just above the upstream extent of BF slurry pond, where blasting of overburden occurs as needed, despite the presence of underground…

: Large truck dumping waste rock directly into the slurry pond, with larger and heavier rocks quickly scurrying down the slope to join the slurry in …

: Sump pump used to withdraw water from top of sediment ponds, then discharge it into downstream pond while the upper pond is dredged.

: Coal that has been crushed and washed, ready for loading.

: Coal being loaded for delivery

: Sediment Control Pond, not a holding pond. These are supposed to be designed to contain sediment from all upstream runoff.

: Sediment control pond.

: Dredging of sediment from sediment control ponds is required as the ponds frequently fill in. Dredging should be performed on frequent basis to kee…

: Two sediment ponds in series, combined are less than 2 acres in size, very narrow and relatively shallow. These 2 ponds are supposed to contain sed…

: Left to right: Paul McCombs, chief engineer for Marfolk at the Brushy Fork site, attorney Maryanne Maul, OVEC’s Rick Eades, Judy Bonds and Freda W…