&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region 3
Sixth and Walnut Sts,
Philadelphia, PA 19106
903R81100
January 1981
Areawide Environmental Assessment
for Issuing NPDES New Source
Coal Mining Permits
in West Virginia
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PREFACE
A new c.ompAehen-i'tve management pAocei-i 1& buying ln*tltute,d in
Virginia by Region III of, the. United States Environmental Prote.ction Agency
(EPA). The new proce** ^6 designed £o ea6e £he regulatory burden on -the
coa£ mining Industry by cutting co*t* and *avlng ua£uab£e ^one -m
new coa£ minly in&ivunQ e.nvckaAg&>, wh^Lck
tk . Tne aAeaw-tde A.ev,tew pAnce44 and
-the coopeAatton o^ We^t (/iAgin-ia'A Ve.pafitime.nt ofi Natural Re4oaAce4
appSLOXwatel.y 601 o^ a££ applicant* to obtain dna&t wateA. dii, change.
wx;t/uji. one month o& tie.ceA.pt ofi the, application by EPA.
The new pAoce44 /ci bo^h ^peedt/ and e.^^.cxen^:. EPA '4 exten^^ue data
gathe.sung and Ae6oaAc.e ana£t/4-c6 compotes the. pote.nt^al -impact* o& coal
to the. A e.n-b'itu.v^ty ok the. State.'* natahal Ae4oaAce4. Thu> allow* aJie.a* highly
*en*-iU,ve. to coal mln-ing to be. *lngle.d out ^OA. detailed peAm£t fizvlew white.
*tAe.amllnlng the. peAtn-ittlng psiocz** In leA* *
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JANUARY 1981
Areawide Environmental Assessment
for Issuing NPDES New Source Coal
Mining Permits in West Virginia
Prepared by:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Region !
Environmental Impact Branch
6th and Walnut Streets
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
Joseph T. Piotrowski, Project Monitor
Evelyn B. Schulz, Assistant Project Monitor
Rosemarie M. Baldino, Production Advisor
Assisted by:
Wapora Inc.
Wesley R. Homer, Project Manager
James A. Schmid, Technical Advisor
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AREAWIDE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS. AN INTRODUCTION
Coal mines that begin to discharge
water to streams after September 17, 1977
are generally considered by EPA to be "New
Sources." Before a New Source permit can be
issued by EPA, a thorough environmental
review is required. The Areawide Environ-
mental Assessment Process is designed to
maximize EPA's use of existing resource data
when reviewing New Source coal mining permit
applications from West Virginia. EPA is
seeking to minimize the time and effort
needed by applicants to prepare applications
and by EPA staff to review them.
Using existing environmental data, EPA
has identified areas with significant
resources that are considered sensitive to
new mining, and the most intensive review
will be reserved for permit applications
from such areas. This document alerts
potential permit applicants to the signifi-
cance and sensitivity of these areas as well
as the reasons for these determinations.
Applicants in areas identified by this Area-
wide Assessment to be less sensitive to New
Source coal mining can obtain permits in a
short turnaround time with minimal review.
In many cases applicants will be able to
shorten the review period by submitting
necessary resource-specific data and pro-
posed mitigations along with the permit
application.
Information from the areawide process
has been used to develop three products:
this Areawide Assessment for West Virginia
as a whole, seven river basin-specific
Supplemental Information Documents, and a
series of 1:24,000-scale overlay maps. This
Areawide Assessment summarizes the entire
New Source process and EPA's findings for
issuing New Source NPDES coal mining permits
in West Virginia. It will be used to
support Findings of No Significant Impact
(FONSI's) on permit applications from non-
sensitive areas in West Virginia. Copies of
this assessment can be obtained from:
EPA Region III, Enforcement Division
West Virginia Section (3EN23)
Sixth and Walnut Streets
Philadelphia PA 19106
Telephone 215-597-1370.
The encyclopedic Supplemental Informa-
tion Documents (SID's) summarize the inven-
tory findings and detailed assessment of
impacts from future coal mining for each
ma3or river basin. The inventory data
resulted from extensive contact with govern-
ment agencies, educational institutions, and
the interested public. The SID's address at
length those measures which can be utilized
by applicants and by EPA (in cooperation
with other agencies) to avoid or minimize
adverse effects on the natural and human
environment. Each SID is printed in a
looseleaf, working draft format so that up-
dated information and new data can be
inserted easily. Quantities of the SID
documents are limited. Copies can be
obtained from EPA's Enforcement Division
until the supply is exhausted. The
libraries to which copies of all seven SID's
have been sent are listed in an appendix to
this Areawide Assessment.
A series of plastic overlays (environ-
mental inventory map sets) keyed to the
standard 7.5 minute US Geological Survey
topographic reference maps of the seven
basins (1:24,000-scale) displays the
resource and past mining inventory data
analyzed in the SID's in a form tnat expe-
dites EPA's review of permit applications.
These maps allow EPA staff to review speci-
fic mine applications in their areawide
context and greatly reduce the need for EPA
to contact each resource managing agency
with respect to each application.
Additional mining operations and resource
data can be entered on the maps by EPA per-
mit staff. These maps are kept at the EPA
Enforcement Division Office in Philadelphia.
It is not anticipated that there will be a
widespread demand for the maps, which in
most cases repeat the data available in the
SID's and elsewhere. To facilitate occa-
sional reference to these inventory maps by
interested applicants or others, however,
EPA has made copies available in West
Virginia for consultation during normal
business hours at:
West Virginia Department of Natural
Resources
Division of Water Resources Building
1201 Greenbrier Street
Charleston, West Virginia 25311
Contact: Mr. Lyle Bennett
Telephone: 304-348-5904
and at
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US Office of Surface Mining-Region I
Division of Technical Services and Research
603 Morris Street
Charleston, West Virginia 25301
Telephone: 304-342-8125
EPA-Region III will implement the area-
wide process described here for all New
Source NPDES permit applications from West
Virginia received after January 1, 1981.
EPA's environmental review of coal mining
permit applications will continue until the
entire NPDES program is delegated to the
State of West Virginia. The current agree-
ment between EPA and West Virginia antici-
pates delegation during September 1981. At
that time, EPA will transfer all data
developed in the Areawide Environmental
Assessment Process to the West Virginia
Department of Natural Resources for use in
issuing State NPDES permits.
Coal and the Clean Water Act
With the enactment of Public Law
92-500, the Federal Water Pollution Control
Act Amendments of 1972 (now known as the
Clean Water Act [CWA]), it became a National
goal to achieve "fishable and swimmable"
waters throughout the United States. To
achieve these ends, Section 402 of the CWA
established the "National Pollutant Dis-
charge Elimination System" (NPDES).
To implement this system, EPA has
developed a permit program which establishes
effluent discharge limitations tor existing
point sources of water pollution, according
to category of discharge or industry. The
performance standards for existing sources
were followed by stricter limitations for
"New Sources," which also are being issued
industry by industry.
Because they are point sources of
wastewater, coal mines must meet NPDES
standards. All coal mines that begin con-
struction after September 17, 1977 (the date
when New Source effluent limitations were
published in draft form), are sub3ect to the
New Source Standards of Performance. If
they propose to discharge wastewater into
surface waters, they must meet the appli-
cable National New Source effluent limita-
tions detailed in Table 1.
Table 1. New Source effluent limitations for the coal mining point source category.1
Coal Preparation Plants
With Acidic Wastewater
Parameter Before Treatment2
Average of
1-day 30 consecutive
maximum daily values
Total suspended solids 70.0 35.0
Total iron3 6.0 3.0
Total manganese 4.0 2.0
pH range4 (pH units) 6 to 9
Active Active
Acid or Ferruginous Alkaline Mine
Mine Drainage Drainage
Average of Average of
1-day 30 consecutive 1-day 30 consecutive
maximum daily values maximum daily values
70.0 35.0 70.0 35.0
6.0 3.0 6.0 3.0
4.0 2.0
6 to 9 6 to 9
iThe Nationwide minimum NPDES performance standards are for wastewater discharged after application of the
best available demonstrated control technology by New Sources. Units are milligrams per liter (mg/1)
except as otherwise indicated (40 CFR 434).
2No discharge to navigable waterways is allowed from facilities which do not recycle wastewater for use in
processing.
3Total iron limitations are lower than the 7.0 (1-day maximum) and 3.5 (average of 30 consecutive daily
values) maxima set for existing sources.
^Slightly higher pH may be allowed if necessary to achieve the manganese limitation.
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Additional limitations with respect to
settleable solids and pH currently are being
formulated by EPA. These limitations will
complete the full set of Best Available
Technology Economically Achievable (BAT)
requirements for various subcategories of
existing and new coal industry facilities.
The additional requirements will apply to
discharges during large storm events, during
bypass episodes, and from surface mines that
have been regraded but are not yet released
from performance bonds. The additional
effluent limitations will cover both
existing sources and New Sources in the coal
mining industrial category. They will be
published in early 1981.
The EPA regulations for New Source coal
mines (40 CFR 434) include three basic cate-
gories of operations: new coal preparation
plants, new surface or underground mines,
and substantially new mines. First, new
coal preparation plants, independent of
mines, are considered New Sources if they
are constructed after September 17, 1977,
unless there were binding contractual obli-
gations to purchase unique facilities or
equipment prior to the September 17 promul-
gation date. Second, surface and under-
ground mines that begin construction subse-
quent to September 17, 1977, automatically
are considered to be New Sources, again
unless there were binding contracts prior to
that date. Third, other surface or under-
ground mines may be regarded by EPA as
"substantially new" operations requiring New
Source NPDES permits, if they: (i) begin to
mine a new coal seam not previously
extracted by that mine, (ii) discharge
effluent to a new drainage area not pre-
viously affected by that mine, (lii) cause
extensive new surface disruption, (iv) begin
construction of a new shaft, slope, or
drift, (v) make significant additional
capital investment in additional equipment
or facilities, or (vi) otherwise have char-
acteristics deemed appropriate by the EPA
Regional Administrator to place them in the
New Source category. Numerous existing
mines may qualify as "substantially new."
The determination of whether a mine is a New
Source will be conducted case by case, based
largely on the information supplied with the
permit application to EPA.
Coal and NEPA
Congress, through Section 511(c) of the
Clean Water Act, determined that New Source
permits are "major Federal actions" with
respect to the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (NEPA). Section 102(2)(C) of
NEPA requires that:
[All agencies of the Federal Government
shall] include in every recommendation or
report on proposals for legislation and
other ma3or Federal actions significantly
affecting the quality of the human environ-
ment, a detailed statement [an Environmental
Impact Statement or EIS] by the responsible
official on.
i. the environmental impact of the
proposed action
ii. any adverse environmental effects
which cannot be avoided should the
proposal be implemented
in. alternatives to the proposed action
iv. the relationship between local short
terms uses of man's environment and
the maintenance and enhancement of
long-term productivity, and
v. any irreversible and irretrievable
commitments of resources which would
be involved in the proposed action
should it be implemented.
NEPA binds EPA to a comprehensive
environmental permit review process for New
Source coal mining applications in West
Virginia, so long as EPA administers NPDES
permits. The New Source NPDES program
offers significantly enhanced opportunity,
as compared with the existing source pro-
gram, for (i) public and interagency input
to the Federal NPDES permit review process
before mine construction begins, (ii)
effective environmental review and consider-
ation of alternatives that may avoid or
minimize adverse effects, and (111) imple-
mentation of environmentally protective
permit conditions on mine planning and oper-
ation. Additionally, NEPA reviews can
assist substantially in maintaining and
protecting the present environmental,
aesthetic, and recreational resources of the
coal regions of West Virginia.
NPDES permits issued through delegated
State programs are not considered signifi-
cant Federal actions. Hence they are not
subject to NEPA review. The procedure used
by EPA in implementing the New Source NEPA
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reviews in West Virginia, therefore, is
expected to be an interim procedure until
the State assumes the NPDES program. The
information developed by EPA will be turned
over to West Virginia when it takes over the
NPDES permit program in September 1981.
Advantages of the Areawide Environmental
Assessment Process;
As energy consumers, all citizens stand
to benefit from efforts to expedite the
mining of West Virginia's untapped coal
resources. As inhabitants of the ecosystem,
all citizens stand to lose valuable environ-
mental resources if New Source mining acti-
vities are uncontrolled. EPA's areawide
approach to environmental assessment is
designed to streamline the permit applica-
tion process for New Source coal mines in a
manner that will save time and money for EPA
and for the permit applicant, while it
identifies and protects valuable resources.
The typical NEPA review process for a
proposed New Source without this areawide
approach would require the permit applicant
to submit a detailed Environmental Informa-
tion Document and EPA to prepare either a
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for
each permit application. This process could
take as long as a year or more and be quite
costly to both parties. The mine operator
or his paid consultant would have to identi-
fy existing resources. This would involve
contacting many Federal, State, and local
agencies. The information then would have
to be mapped and analyzed with regard to the
proposed mining operations. After EPA
reviewed the document, it would use the
information to prepare the EIS or FONSI.
As the result of the Areawide Environ-
mental Assessment Process, however, EPA
already has collected and interpreted a
great deal of information on existing condi-
tions. Instead of collecting the data
pertinent to each new mining operation, EPA
has assembled all data available for the
State of West Virginia. Existing resources
within each of the seven river basin areas
have been compiled on clear plastic overlays
(environmental inventory map sets) to the
standard 7.5-minute USGS topographic refer-
ence maps (1:24,000-scale ) . This mapping
reduces the amount of interagency contact
required of EPA during its NEPA review of a
typical permit application. The uniform
format provided by the USGS maps allows
EPA's Enforcement Division to perform rapid
"at-a-glance" environmental reviews which
pinpoint exactly the locations of sensitive
resources with regard to individual New
Source coal mining operations.
EPA's areawide approach also serves to
insure that all or at least most valuable
resources are identified. EPA's data
gathering process involved contacting
numerous government, educational, and pri-
vate institutions. Hundreds of documents
were collected and reviewed by persons with
the appropriate technical expertise.
The data gathering process allowed the
designation of areas which are considered
extremely sensitive to mining activities,
those which are considered moderately sensi-
tive to miing activities, those which are
probably non-sensitive to properly regulated
mining , and those for which more information
must be obtained before the relative sensi-
tivity to mining can be determined. These
areas and the level of environmental review
which EPA will employ now can be identified
by the concerned citizen, environmentalist,
and prospective coal mine operator.
The areawide process and its products
have been designed for maximum flexibility
and continuous updating. Citizens, indus-
try, and other agencies can provide input to
EPA's data base at any time by submitting
information to EPA's Enforcement Division.
The public notice and issuance of a draft
permit processes insure opportunities for
comment on individual permit applications.
The New Source NPDES Permit Process Using
the Areawide Assessment
The West Virginia Department of Natural
Resources (WVDNR) and EPA have developed a
cooperative process to review the environ-
mental impacts of proposed New Sources coal
mining activities. A copy of each completed
application for a State surface mine (SMA)
number, underground opening (DR 14), or
preparation plant (DR 23) is forwarded to
EPA-Region III. These State application
forms now include the administrative infor-
mation that EPA uses to make the legal
determination of whether the proposed
facility is a New Source. EPA Enforcement
Branch personnel then begin preliminary
environmental review of proposed New Sources
in coordination with the relevant State
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agencies prior to receipt of the actual
NPDES permit application. The typical NPDES
permit application process is outlined in
Figure 1. If the facility is a New Source,
the State permit applicant is informed with-
in 30 days that a valid New Source permit is
required prior to the beginning of construc-
tion and is sent a NPDES application. He is
also informed of any additional environmen-
tal data that EPA will require to complete
the environmental review. EPA believes that
most applicants will be able to supply any
necessary data at the time a formal NPDES
application is submitted to EPA.
NPDES New Source permits can be condi-
tioned by EPA to avoid or minimize adverse
effects on any type of significant resource.
Thus, as part of the Areawide Environmental
Assessment Process, baseline information
detailing the existing environment.
geography and geology; historic, aesthetic,
and recreational sites; environmentally
sensitive areas; stream water quality cate-
gories; and other potential issues of
concern was compiled in a uniform format in
the SID's and environmental inventory map
sets. Together with the copy of the appro-
priate .State permit application, these base-
line data now allow a rapid review of New
Source coal mining applications. This
process also relieves the applicant of
duplicative application requirements as well
as the often expensive and time consuming
burden of environmental data development in
areas shown by these baseline data to be
environmentally non-sensitive.
The intensity of NEPA review given to
coal industry New Source permit applications
will vary with the environmental sensitivity
of the permit area (Figure 2). Two basic
Figure 1
Typical NPDES Permit Process
ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT
(New Source only)
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Figure 2
APPLICATION THAT
INCLUDES AN
ORPHANED MINE
EPA NEW SOURCE NPDES PERMIT
NEPA REVIEW PROCESS
COAL MINING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY
PRIORITY TRACK
APPLICATION FROM
NON-SENSITIVE AREA
WITH NO LOCAL RESOURCES
APPLICATION FROM
NON-SENSITIVE AREA
WHERE LOCAL RESOURCE
REQUIRES PROTECTION
APPLICATION FROM
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE
IMPACT AREA(PSIA)
classes of areas are depicted broadly in the
Figure 3 map of West Virginia. There are
many areas in which mining will have no
significant adverse impacts, so long as all
localized resources are proposed to be
protected adequately. For mining industry
permits from those areas, this Areawide
Assessment document serves as a "Finding of
No Significant Impact," provided that all
other local, State, and Federal permit and
approval requirements are satisfied and
appropriate mitigative measures for speci-
fically identified, localized resources are
applied.
Additional scrutiny by EPA will be
necessary for New Source applications where
there are localized resources that the mine
will affect, but the applicant has not
proposed adequate protective measures. If
the appropriate mitigation is not specified
in the New Source permit application, a
detailed NEPA review ordinarily will be
required to develop suitable conditions for
the permit. Examples of localized resources
include National Register historic places,
parks, cemeteries, wetlands, and critical
habitats of endangered species. Such
resources typically can be avoided or
buffered by careful design of the mining
facility.
A detailed review of New Source mines
and other coal facilities on a case-by-case
basis will be warranted in those areas
designated as Potentially Significant Impact
Areas (PSIA's) because of their high sensi-
tivity to New Source coal mining. Criteria
used to designate PSIA's in each of the
seven basins are summarized in Table 2 and
discussed in subsequent sections of this
Areawide Assessment. Special attention was
given by EPA to considerations of water
quality and aquatic biota in defining the
PSIA's of each river basin. The EPA concep-
tual approach to protecting surface waters
is outlined in the general findings section
of this Areawide Assessment; specific
findings are indicated in the final basin-
specific sections of this Areawide
Assessment.
New Source applications within the
Potentially Significant Impact Areas auto-
matically will require individual NEPA
review to develop measures or alternatives
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Table 2. Resource criteria used by EPA to designate Potentially Sensitive Impact Areas in West Viryinia
river basins for New Source coal raining.
PSIA Criterion/Basin
North Ohio/
Branch Little
Potomac Monongahela Kanawha Elk Gauley
Guyandotte/
Big Sandy/
Coal/ Twelvepoie/
Kanawha Tug Fork
BIA Category II watershed
Federal recreational or multiple-use land
National Natural Landmark
National Wild/Scenic River or Study River
Other Nationally Significant River
National Wilderness Area
(or proposed wilderness)
X
X
to prevent or minimize the negative impacts
of the proposed mining activities, if possi-
ble, or to develop the rationale to deny a
permit, if alternatives or mitigation cannot
sufficiently protect the affected, sensitive
resources. Where potentially significant
impacts cannot be avoided, a full EIS
procedure is likely.
EPA recognizes the serious pollution
problem posed by abandoned mines in West
Virginia. Therefore it expects to accommo-
date with priority any application for the
re-mining of abandoned mine sites, so long
as the proposal anticipates that wastewater
discharges and reclamation will satisfy all
currently applicable standards.
EPA and USOSM
EPA has taken special care, when
developing its areawide permit process, to
rely upon the environmentally protective
requirements of the permanent regulatory
program currently being implemented by the
US Office of Surface Mining (US Department
of the Interior). Frequent reference is
made to the USOSM regulations in the SID's,
because the USOSM performance standards were
written to abate many environmental abuses
associated with coal mining. Should USOSM
regulations not be in force, similar
requirements may have to be imposed on NPDES
New Source permittees by EPA to assure
environmental protection.
Pursuant to the Surface Mining Control
and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA; P.L.
95-87), detailed environmental protection
performance standards applicable to the coal
industry are to be applied through a phased,
comprehensive regulatory program. The
permanent regulatory program (44 FR
15311-15463; March 13, 1979) requires more
detailed Federal standards than those set in
the initial interim program, and they are to
be imposed through a permit system. Some of
the precise details of the program are in
litigation and are not yet certain.
The SMCRA permit program for privately
owned, lands may be delegated to the State of
West Virginia, following approval of air and
water quality aspects by EPA and overall
approval by the US Secretary of the
Interior. Mining activity on Federal lands
will continue to require Federal (USOSM)
permits. Most coal lands in West Virginia
are privately owned. The West Virginia
program was approved in part by the US
Department of the Interior during October
1980. The State is resubmitting its propo-
sal, and a public hearing will be held by
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USOSM during January 1981. If approved, the
State SMCRA program could be implemented
during early 1981.
EPA is currently working with USOSM to
develop procedures for coordinating the New
Source NPDES environmental review process
for coal mining industry applications with
the similar permit review mandated for those
mines regulated by the US Office of Surface
Mining under the Surface Wining Control and
Reclamation Act of 1977 (44 FR 187.55322-
55325, September 25, 1979). This coordina-
tion will reduce potential duplication of
requirements and will result in an efficient
and comprehensive review process. EPA is
unlikely to be the lead agency for NEPA
review for permits for coal mines if USOSM
administers the SMCRA program in West
Virginia.
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GENERAL FINDINGS OF THE AREAWIDE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS
In this section the overall results
which emerged from EPA's Areawide Environ-
mental Assessment Process in the major river
basins of West Virginia are discussed.
Summaries of the principal types of
resources evaluated for potential coal
mining impacts, the results of these evalua-
tions, and the impact on permit issuance are
included. Inventory findings and evaluation
methodologies are described in detail in
each SID. EPA has concluded that for the
majority of New Source coal mining applica-
tions, existing institutional mechanisms
(both environmental performance standards
and interagency coordination) will be suffi-
cient to protect environmental resources and
to allow issuance of NPDES permits.
EPA has evaluated the potential impacts
of new mining on seven broad classes of
environmental resources: water resources,
aquatic biota, terrestrial biota, air
quality and noise, cultural and visual
resources, human and land use resources, and
earth resources. Many of the resources in
the basins which are both significant and
sensitive to New Source mining are local-
ized. These resources can be protected
throughout the basins through mitigative
measures which will be enforceable by EPA
through special New Source permit condi-
tions. The conditions may be technical in
nature, requiring that special engineering
practices be adopted during mining. Alter-
natively, permit conditions may be
procedural or institutional, invoking coor-
dination with some other State or Federal
agency whose requirements will protect the
resources adequately. Existing controls on
new mining, most notably the USOSM permanent
program requirements under SMCRA, will be
utilized by EPA to the fullest extent
possible.
Water Resources
Groundwater and surface water resources
are of particular concern to EPA because of
the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking
Water Act. Public water supply sources
(underground and surface) can be affected
adversely by New Source mining activities
that reduce water supply capacity or
introduce chemical contaminants. EPA has
mapped public water supply sources and will
require mitigation where potential impacts
on public water supplies may occur. For
example, where underground mines are pro-
posed within 1.5 miles of any active water
supply well, an ongoing groundwater moni-
toring program will be required. Also,
surface mines within 200 feet of any active
water supply well or spring will require a
detailed, permit-specific evaluation.
EPA finds that the impacts of mining
activity on flooding (especially surface
mining) are variable, poorly documented, and
impossible to generalize. If USOSM perma-
nent program regulations regarding locations
of activities within the 100-year flood-
plain, construction of retention basins, and
other actions to control the rate of mine
runoff are implemented fully, the potential
effects of new mining on flood levels should
be mitigated adequately in most cases. EPA
recognizes that, in certain instances where
various factors overlap (extensive new
surface mining in steeply sloping watersheds
where there is considerable existing
development on or near the floodplain, as in
the Tug Fork Valley of southern West
Virginia), adverse impacts may be signifi-
cant and should be evaluated closely before
New Source permits are issued. EPA will
rely on the public notice aspects of the
NPDES permit process to identify areas where
flooding and other hydrologic impacts are
potentially serious. In identified cases,
EPA may elect to address the issue of
individual and cumulative mine-related
effects on flooding in a detailed site-
specific manner.
Aquatic Biota
Aquatic biota are especially signifi-
cant resources in West Virginia, and they
have been damaged greatly by past mining
practices. In many West Virginia streams
significant biota have been shown to be
quite sensitive to mining effluents that
meet current New Source standards. The
significance of the aquatic biota of
individual streams has been evaluated on the
basis of factors such as their recreational
(sport fishing) importance, nature study
value, and threatened or endangered status.
Sensitivity was determined on the basis of
all available data using the professional
judgment of experienced aquatic biologists.
Resource evaluations rely heavily on State
stream data and evaluations.
11
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The watersheds that warrant special
consideration in EPA's NPDES permit review
program have been designated as Biologically
Important Areas (BIA's). These areas are
subdivided further into Category I
(moderately sensitive) and Category II
(extremely sensitive) BIA's on the basis of
their judged sensitivity to mine-related
pollutants, stream size, mine-waste assimi-
lation capacity, and other available infor-
mation. Full consideration also was given
to factors such as the diversity of stream
biota, the presence of rare or unusual
species, and the cultural and recreational
significance of the fishery resource in West
Virginia.
The essential difference between BIA
Category I and Category II areas is that EPA
is confident that mitigative measures can be
applied in BIA Category I areas for adequate
protection of the sensitive aquatic biota
identified. These mitigative measures may
take the form of permit conditions,
state-of-the-art control methods, and biolo-
gical and chemical monitoring programs
during mining. The selection of the appro-
priate mitigative measures will result from
EPA's evaluation of the receiving stream's
biological baseline taken from State
reports, other previously verified data, or
a site-specific pre-mining biological survey
conducted by the applicant. Because of
these requirements, EPA urges all applicants
to contact EPA at the earliest stages of
mine planning to eliminate unnecessary time
and dollar expenditures.
In BIA Category II areas mitigative
measures may not be sufficient to prevent
adverse impacts. More extensive information
on stream water quality, stream biota, and
the impacts of the proposed new mining acti-
vity is necessary. Before mining takes
place in BIA Category II areas, EPA will
require that current data be provided on the
proposed receiving stream in the form of a
detailed biological assessment that defines
species composition, assesses the suscepti-
bility to mining of those species found, and
determines alternatives (including special
permit conditions) that will adequately
protect the aquatic biota. The data also
will form a baseline against which to
compare actual impacts and judge the
effectiveness of mitigations associated with
the permit, if granted. The scope of each
biological assessment will be determined by
EPA on a case-by-case basis and should
proceed as early as possible during mine
planning. Background biological data can be
supplied by the applicant or by the State.
All BIA Category II areas are designated by
EPA as PSIA's in each basin.
Certain areas have been classified by
EPA as non-sensitive, based on aquatic
characteristics, water quality characteris-
tics, and physical characteristics of the
waterbody. In these areas, the Nationwide
New Source effluent limitations will be
adequate to maintain or enhance present
water quality.
Unclassified areas also have been
identified by EPA. Here, current data are
not adequate for classification as either
BIA Category I, BIA Category II, or non-
sensitive areas. These areas will require a
brief but intensive investigation and report
by either the State's or the applicant's
qualified biologist for classification as
either a non-sensitive or BIA Category I or
II area so that permit review by EPA can
proceed. Again, contact by the applicant
with EPA at the earliest stage of mine
planning is recommended for proposed
facilities in unclassified areas.
BIA
Category 1
moderately
sensitive
mltlg
1. pe
2. cc
3
CAUTION
CHOOSE
atlon measure
rmlt conditions
jntrol methods
. monitoring
Category II
extremely
sensitive
/ STOP \
NEGOTIATE
with EPA
case by ease
Non-Sensitive
APPLY
New Source
effluent limitations
12
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L
Terrestrial Biota
Terrestrial biological resources
include outstanding vegetation and wildlife.
Such resources are important because of
their commercial value (lumbering and
trapping, for example), their significance
as threatened and endangered species, and
their inherent ecological value and
functional role in high quality natural
environments. EPA has mapped data provided
by the WVDNR-Heritage Trust Program (now the
Natural Heritage Program) and other sources
concerning populations of endangered or
other special interest species of plants and
animals, outstanding trees, stands of virgin
forest, wetlands, and other scarce but note-
worthy biological features.
EPA has concluded that implementation
of USOSM permanent program requirements
should adequately identify the presence of
valuable terrestrial biota on proposed mine
sites and serve to protect any identified
resources when New Source mining is pro-
posed. Terrestrial biota of National signi-
ficance (National Natural Landmarks) are
included in the PSIA's of the basins.
Air Quality and Noise
In most cases, air quality and noise
issues in the context of new mining opera-
tions are not expected to be significant,
are localized in scope, and already are
mitigated substantially by other EPA and
State programs. Air quality impacts consist
primarily of potential point source air
quality impacts from coal preparation plants
(particulate emissions) and the more
generalized effects such as fugitive dust
emissions resulting from blasting, hauling,
and other mining activities. Preparation
plants are regulated pursuant to the Clean
Air Act by the West Virginia Air Pollution
Control Commission, in accordance with the
EPA-approved State Implementation Plan.
Fugitive dust control measures for coal
mines have been incorporated into the USOSM
permanent program requirements. Therefore,
EPA finds that major adverse impacts will be
mitigated adequately and will not require
special NPDES permit conditions. Blasting
noise and vibration are addressed thoroughly
by USOSM and WVDNR regulations and similarly
will not require added NPDES permit
conditions.
Cultural and Visual Resources
Many cultural and primary visual
resources, if identified and specially
designated, are protected by Federal laws
such as the National Historic Preservation
Act of 1966, the Archaeological and Historic
Preservation Act of 1974, the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act, the Wilderness Act, and
other Federal legislation. Such protection
is recognized by the USOSM permanent program
regulations. West Virginia law also
protects State lands by prohibitions or
other controls on coal mining. These
resources are important for educational
purposes, their contribution to the overall
quality of life, and their considerable role
in promoting tourism and other economic
development efforts in West Virginia. New
Source mining activity can affect archaeolo-
gical and historic resources both by direct
destruction prior to evaluation or salvage
and indirectly through aesthetic degradation
where these resources have not been investi-
gated fully prior to mine planning.
However, because cultural resources tend to
have a site-specific localized character and
tend to be located in developed areas
removed from areas expected to be mined in
the future, their protection is not expected
to, affect the New Source permit program
significantly.
EPA has mapped all National Register
sites as well as those other historic and
archaeologic sites for which data were
available. The procedures established by
Congress through the National Historic
Preservation Act and the Archaeologic
Preservation Act will be sufficient to pro-
tect these identified resources. Other
significant sites are likely to exist in
West Virginia. To make certain that
adequate information is developed in each
case, EPA is affording the State Historic
Preservation Officer the opportunity to
utilize his mandated responsibilities and
resources to identify additional cultural
resources and to evaluate potential adverse
impacts on these resources, as New Source
permit applications are received by EPA.
EPA will notify the State Historic Preserva-
tion Officer of potential New Source mining
activity both at the time when the applicant
is determined to be a New Source early in
the process and later at the time of New
Source draft permit issuance. In all cases,
13
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EPA will not issue New Source NPDES permits
prior to the completion of review procedures
mandated by those acts where historic and
archaeologic resources are involved.
Primary visual resources, where not
protected by State or Federal ownership,
will be evaluated by EPA on a case by case
basis using a preliminary list of primary
visual resources, a site-oriented visual
basin impact methodology, and coordinated
notification procedures by EPA to eliminate
data gaps and to assess accurately the
impact of New Source mining on these
resources. In all primary visual resource
cases, mitigative measures can be employed
to reduce substantially the adverse impacts
that otherwise might result from New Source
mining. In extreme cases, EPA will not
issue a New Source permit, if the primary
visual resource cannot be protected
adequately. Certain of these resources of
National significance (including National
Wild and Scenic Rivers, other National
Rivers, and Wilderness Areas) are considered
to be PSIA's in the basins.
Human Resources and Land Uses
Impacts from New Source mining can
affect the local supply of community ser-
vices and facilities, adequacy of the
transportation network, overall housing
market, and ability of the impacted govern-
ment agencies to plan reasonably for the
future. The potential for adverse impact
becomes much greater as the size of the
proposed mining activities and the number of
these activities increase. EPA has estab-
lished a mechanism which uses a preliminary
screening of these issues based on an array
of calculated threshold values. Data inputs
include local unemployment rates and
regional employment multipliers. Various
coordinative procedures are brought into
play which are designed to alert the
agencies directly involved with planning for
and managing potentially affected resources.
These coordinative procedures essentially
constitute mitigative measures which have
been set out by EPA to address potential
adverse effects, signaled when a threshold
value is reached. In general, coordinative
procedures will suffice to mitigate impacts
while expediting permit issuance. Various
ways to minimize potentially more substan-
tial adverse effects also have been
identified in the SID's.
Land use issues, particularly the
compatibility of mining activities witt
other uses nearby, are addressed at lengtt
in the USOSM regulations. General land use
capatibility issues also are addressed
through EPA's public notice provisions as
well as other coordinative procedures
established by EPA.
USOSM permanent program regulations and
SMCRA mandate protection of public lands,
including parks, as well as cemeteries. The
EPA public notice for each NPDES permit
provides an additional opportunity for
public land managers to have their interests
considered when New Source permit conditions
are written. Federal recreation and multi-
ple use lands are included as PSIA's in the
basins.
Earth Resources
Earth resource impacts primarily derive
from or are a link in the chain of other
resource impacts. The permanent conversion
of prime agricultural land to non-farming
uses by New Source surface mining is a
direct adverse impact which potentially
affects land productivity for future genera-
tions. Mining on unstable slopes or in
areas prone to subsidence can give rise to
direct adverse impacts (e.g., landslides and
sinkholes) when associated with New Source
mining. Mining on steep slopes exacerbates
natural or manmade slope instability as well
as sedimentation and erosion control
problems and the danger of flash flooding.
Mining activities when located in the flood-
plain interfere with the absorptive capacity
of the natural cover, creating increased
flood risks as well as related water-quality
problems. Where the potential exists for
toxic overburden and acid mine drainage, new
mining ultimately is most likely to damage
water resources and valuable aquatic and
terrestrial biota.
As part of the Areawide Environmental
Assessment Process, EPA has mapped and
evaluated soils classified as prime agricul-
tural land (regardless of whether these
soils currently are in agricultural
production) based on USDA-Soil Conservation
Service criteria. EPA has enumerated those
soil groups and soil series generally known
to have stability problems and conditions
under which instability and subsidence
potential exist. EPA has mapped areas of
14
-------
known instability when these data have been
available. Steep slopes defined as those
greater than 25% (14°) also have been
prepared. Floodplain (100-year) designa-
tions, as determined by the US Geologicial
Survey or the US Department of Housing and
Urban Development, have been mapped by EPA.
Areas with greatest potential for toxic
overburden have been established with the
assistance of the Division of Reclamation at
WVDNR, using Reclamation's file data to
determine where the probability for acid-
producing overburden as well as toxic coal
seams themselves is substantial.
EPA's regulatory controls to minimize
earth resource impacts rely on successful
application of the extensive USOSM permanent
program requirements, especially relating to
problems of toxic overburden, floodplain
protection, and slope instability. To
accommodate EPA's full range of NEPA
responsibilities, some USOSM requirements
have been extended. For example, the USOSM
Nationwide steep slope requirements are
imposed on slopes of 20° (36%) or more.
Because of West Virginia's experience with
instability on slopes of less than 20°,
slopes between 14° (25%) and 20° will be
considered on a case-by-case basis for
application of USOSM steep slope performance
standards such as those governing the down-
slope placement of mine spoil. Concerning
prime farmland, USOSM requirements are
restricted basically to that land currently
in agricultural production. Because of
EPA's NEPA concern relating to long-term
effects and irretrievable and irreversible
commitments of resources, lands classified
by the US Soil Conservation Service as prime
farmland will be considered carefully in
individual permit reviews, whether or not
these lands currently are in production.
Coal Resources
Given the large number of factors which
affect the demand tor coal as well as its
supply, the implications of EPA's new Area-
wide Environmental Assessment Process for
the future mining of coal in West Virginia
cannot be quantified precisely. Neverthe-
less, generalized estimates of impact on
future coal mining have been prepared by
EPA, relying heavily on historical mining
data, estimates of reserve tonnages, and
evaluations of coal quality factors.
Results of this generalized estimating
process indicate that approximately 10% of
potential future annual tonnage is located
in PSIA's and, therefore, will not be able
to take advantage of the streamlined
approach provided by this new areawide
process. More importantly, although a
portion of the remaining 90% of this poten-
tial future annual tonnage will be condi-
tioned by various types of mitigative
measures, New Source permits for this ton-
nage can be issued expeditiously in the
future, based upon the process undertaken by
EPA as summarized in this Areawide Assess-
ment. In so doing, EPA hopes to have
accomplished important National energy
objectives while preserving and protecting
equally important environmental values.
15
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BASIN-SPECIFIC FINDINGS OF THE AREAWIDE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS
This section summarizes EPA's principal
findings for each basin. The areas that
constitute PSIA's are identified, including
BIA Category II and other PSIA components.
In each case where aquatic resources
contributed to PSIA designation, the entire
sub-watershed area (all tributaries) of the
stream is included in the PSIA. This is due
to the anticipated transmission of pollu-
tants from upstream areas to the downstream
reaches known to have high quality water and
biota. Furthermore, although sampling
generally has not been conducted in the more
remote headwater tributaries, there is
strong reason to believe that the very
significant and sensitive biota sampled at
downstream stations also inhabit upper
reaches of the streams.
Other important aquatic resource
findings such as BIA Category I areas and
those waterways deemed non-sensitive to New
Source mining activities also are identi-
fied. Maps for each river basin illustrate
those areas where lack of aquatic resource
data currently precludes stream
classification.
17
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The Coal/Kanawha River Basin
Several PSIA's in the Coal/Kanawha
River Basin have been identified on the
basis of aquatic biological resources and
coincide with the boundaries of BIA Category
II areas (Figures 4 and 5 and Table 3). For
example, Laurel Creek, Mill Creek, Wolf
Creek, Glade Creek, and Mann's Creek, all of
which are located in Fayette County, are
PSIA's based on their State designation as
trout waters corroborated by water quality
and aquatic biological data available to
EPA. These streams, to varying degrees,
have been demonstrated to have high biolo-
gical equitability and diversity ratings,
suggesting that a high quality fauna is
currently supported by relatively pristine
waters. Mann's Creek also supports species
of macroinvertebrates that are indicative of
high quality water. Meadow Creek, Lick
Creek, and the Little Bluestone River in
Summers County and Camp Creek in Mercer
County are designated as PSIA's because they
support trout as well as other especially
important and relatively rare aquatic
species, as reported by the WVDNR-Heritage
Trust Program.
In the Coal/Kanawha River Basin the
PSIA's also include several scenic and
recreational areas of Nationwide signifi-
cance. The New River Gorge National River
is a PSIA, defined by the "taking line"
established by Congress in 1978 (P.L.
95-625) in Fayette, Raleigh, and Summers
Counties. This 50,000-acre area has been
authorized for acquisition by the National
Park Service because of its multiple natural
resource values (aquatic, terrestrial,
cultural, and visual) and recreational
potential. Babcock State Park, Grandview
State Park, McKendree Public Hunting and
Fishing Area, and Sandstone Falls State Park
are included within the National River
boundary (Figure 4).
The Bluestone River from its confluence
with the New River to its headwaters was
designated by Congress as a Study River for
potential inclusion in the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System (established by P.L.
90-542 in 1968). The System serves to
protect and preserve rivers with "remarkable
scenic, recreational, fish and wildlife,
historic, cultural, or other similar
values..." Because the US Department of the
Interior-Heritage Conservation and Recrea-
tion Service has designated the Bluestone
River as a Study River in the System, hlPA
regards the Bluestone mainstem with a 1,000
foot buffer zone on each side as a PSIA
(Figure 4 ) .
Both the New River Gorge National River
authorized boundary and the Bluestone River
with its buffer zone include several areas
that are classified as PSIA's because of
their aquatic biota. These PSIA's generally
are located in eastern and southern parts of
the Basin where there has been little
mining, urban, or industrial development.
More specific PSIA locations are as
follows:
o Laurel Creek: in Fayette County, this
area includes the entire Laurel Creek
watershed area beginning at the Laurel
Creek 3uncture with the New River at
Cotton Hill, including the small towns of
Dempsey and Beckwith
o Wolf Creek: in Fayette County, this
area includes the Wolf Creek watershed
which adjoins Laurel Creek to the west;
the watershed begins at South Fayette on
the New River
o Mill Creek: in Fayette County, the area
includes the Mill Creek watershed,
encompassing the town of Ansted
o Glade Creek: in Fayette County, the
Glade Creek watershed includes the towns
of Danese, Pittman, and Landisburg
o Mann's Creek: in Fayette County, the
area includes the Mann's Creek watershed
in/near Babcock State Park
o Meadow Creek: in Summers County, the
Meadow Creek watershed extends upstream
from the New River
o Lick Creek: in Summers County, the Lick
Creek watershed joins the New River north
of Sandstone and includes the town of
Green Sulphur Springs
o Little Bluestone River: in Summers
County, this PSIA watershed includes the
town of Jumping Branch
o Camp Creek: in Mercer County, the Camp
Creek watershed is a PSIA which includes
Camp Creek State Forest
18
-------
Figure 4
POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AREAS IN THE
COAL/KANAWHA RIVER BASIN
19
-------
Figure 5 BIOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT AREAS AND NONSENSITIVE
AREAS IN1HE COAL/KANAWHA RIVER BASIN
Krodel Lake
CATEGORY I
CATEGORY H
UNCLASSIFIED AREAS
**••••• NONSENSITIVE AREAS
A CATEGORYI LAKE
Lake
Washington —l*^
r~Plum Orchard
Lake
Bab cock
Lake
ViRGiMA
20
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Table 3. Summary of major aquatic and water resource findings in the Coal/Kanawha River
West Virginia. Waters include all watersheds unless specified as mainstem only. Lakes
include a generalized buffer zone around the waterbody, encompassing all areas (potential
mine sites) which would discharge directly into the lake.
BIA Category I
Mill Run
Old Town Creek
West Creek
Tombleson Run
Krodel Lake (Lake only)
Hurricane W.S. Res. (Lake only)
Ridenour Lake (Lake only)
Mainstem Kanawha (above Charleston)
Campbells Creek
Lens Creek
Witcher Creek
Hughes Creek
Paint Creek
(above Mahon
New River Mainstem
(Mainstem only below
t>lue stone Lake)
Mason
Mason
Mason
Mason
Putnam
Kanawha
Kanawha,
Fayette
Kanawha
Kanawha
Kanawha
Kanawha
Fayette
Fayette,
Summers
Reason for Designation
High equitability
WVDNR-HTP Species: Phoxinus erythrogaster
High diversity
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
High diversity
WVDNR-HTP Species: Hybopsis storeriana
Notropis buchanani
Trout lake
Recreational area
Trout lake
Recreational area
Trout lake
Recreational area
High diversity, high equitability
WVDNR-HTP Species. Notropis buchanani
Ichthyomyzon bdellium
Percina copelandi
Pimephales vigilax
Epioblasma torulosa
torulosa
Lampsilis orbiculata
orbiculata,
Important sport fishery and
recreational area
High diversity
High diversity
High diversity
High equitability
Trout stream
High diversity, high equitability
High equitability
High diversity
WVDNR-HTP Species: Notropis scabriceps
Notropis platyrhynchus
Macroinvertebrate indicator species,
Important warmwater sport fishery;
many endemic fish species present
21
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Table 3. Summary of major aquatic and water resource findings in the Coal/Kanawha River
West Virginia (continued).
BIA Category I
Babcock Lake (Lake only)
Glade Creek
Pinch Creek
Marsh Fork
Fitzpatrick Lake (Lake only)
Little Beaver Lake (Lake only)
Pinnacle Lake (Lake only)
Bluestone River (Mainstem only)
Little Coal River (Mainstem only)
Rock Creek
Spruce Fork
Pond Fork
Stevens Lake (Lake only)
Flat Top Lake (Lake only)
Plum Orchard Lake (Lake only)
BIA Category II
Laurel Creek
Mill Creek
Wolf Creek
Glade Creek
Mann's Creek
Meadow Creek
Raleigh
Raleigh
Raleigh
Raleigh
Raleigh
Mercer
Mercer
Boone
Boone
Boone
Boone
Boone
County
Fayette
Fayette
Fayette
Fayette
Fayette
Summers
Reason for Designation
Trout lake
Recreational area
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout lake
Trout lake
Trout lake
WVDNR-HTP Species.
Sport fishery
Phenacobius teretulus
High diversity, high equitability
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
High diversity, high equitability
Trout stream
High diversity, high equitability
Important sport fishery area
Important sport fishery area
Important sport fishery area
Reason for Designation
Trout stream
High equitability
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Trout stream
WVDNR-HTP Species: Notropis scabriceps
22
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Table 3. Summary of major aquatic and water resource findings in the Coal/Kanawha River
West Virginia (concluded).
BIA Category II
Lick Creek
Little Bluestone River
Camp Creek
Non-Sensitive Areas
Cabin Creek
Paint Creek (lower half)
Kanawha River Mainstem
(below Charleston)
Pocatalico River
Dunloup Creek
Brush Creek
East River (upper half)
Kanawha,
Fayette
Kanawha,
Putnam,
Mercer
Kanawha,
Roane
Fayette
Mercer
Mercer
Reason for Designation
WVDNR-HTP Species: Notropis scabriceps
Trout stream
Trout stream
23
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New River Gorge National River: an
irregular zone of approximately 50,000
acres which parallels the New River,
starting at South Fayette and the
juncture of US 19 and the New River and
continuing upstream to Hinton near the
Raleigh-Summers County border. The area
bounded is irregular in shape but approx-
imates a corridor which averages 2 miles
in width.
Bluestone River: in Fayette, Raleigh,
and Summers Counties, this PSIA is
defined as a corridor 2,000 feet wide,
centered on the mainstem of the Bluestone
River, beginning at Bluestone Lake and
continuing south and west to the West
Virginia-Virginia border.
The BIA Category I watersheds that will
receive special attention from EPA and non-
sensitive areas that will require only NPDES
effluent limitations are presented in Figure
5 and Table 3. Neither of these classes of
areas is included in the PSIA's of the
Basin. They are illustrated here because
they are significant findings for EPA permit
processing. Streams in large parts of the
Basin cannot be classified on the basis of
existing data and appear as unclassified
areas in Figure 5.
24
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The Elk River Basin
The PSIA's in the Elk River Basin
reflect significant and sensitive aquatic
biota and have been defined on the basis of
BIA Category II waters (Figure 6 and 7 and
Table 4). The PSIA's primarily are located
in the eastern half of the Basin, where
there has been little mining or other
development. The headwaters of the Elk
River and its upper tributaries have demon-
strated high equitability and diversity
ratings. Most of these streams are trout
waters. Many streams support significant
fisheries. Species of special interest as
listed by the WVDNR-Heritage Trust Program
have been located in some streams such as
Old Lick Creek in Webster County, Sutton
Reservoir in Braxton County, and the Elk
River in Clay County. Many of the streams
also happen to be lightly buffered against
influxes of acid from sulfur-bearing coal
and overburden and are, therefore, particu-
larly vulnerable to New Source mining-
related discharges. More specific PSIA
locations are as follows:
o Elk River: in Pocahontas, Randolph,
Webster, and Braxton Counties, this PSIA
includes all areas tributary to the Elk
River from the Clay-Braxton County border
and upstream, including major streams
such as Chimney Rock Creek, Back Fork of
Elk River, Big Run, Bergoo Creek,
Leatherwood Creek, Sugar Creek, Little
Sugar Creek, Point Mountain Creek, Potato
Knob Run, Left Fork of Holly River, Falls
Run, Laurel Fork, Old Lick Creek, Right
Fork of Holly River, Desert Fork, Laurel
Creek, Sutton Reservoir, Birch River,
Little Birch River, and Robinson Fork
o Elk River Mainstem. in Braxton and Clay
Counties, this PSIA is restricted to the
mainstem corridor of the Elk River,
beginning at the juncture of the Kanawha-
Clay County border (westernmost point)
and continuing upstream to the Clay-
Braxton County border
o Lilly Fork: in Clay and Nicholas
Counties, the Lilly Fork watershed
o Little Sycamore Creek: in Clay County,
the Little Sycamore Creek watershed
including the towns of Shelton and
Warfleld
o Elk Twomile Creek: in Kanawha County,
this PSIA watershed includes the towns of
Airport Village and Rutledge.
The only BIA Category I area designated
in the Basin is the lowest section of the
Elk River Mainstem, from the Kanawha-Clay
County border downstream to Charleston
(Figure 7 and Table 4). There is only one
non-sensitive stream in the Basin (Buffalo
Creek), as determined by EPA on the basis of
existing aquatic information. Most streams
in the western half of the Basin cannot be
classified on the basis of existing
information.
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Table 4. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Elk River Basin, West Virginia.
Waters include all watersheds unless specified as mainstem only. Lakes include a
generalized buffer zone around the waterbody, encompassing all areas (potential mine sites)
which would discharge directly into the lake.
BIA Category I
Elk River (mainstem only)
BIA Category II
Elk River (headwaters) and
tributaries
Elk River
Chimney Rock Creek
Back Fork of Elk (headwaters) and
tributaries
Elk River
Big Run
Bergoo Creek
Leatherwood Creek
Back Fork of Elk River
Sugar Creek
Little Sugar Creek
Point Mountain Creek
Potato Knob Run
Left Fork of Holly River
Reason for Designation
High diversity, high equitability
Three or more gamefish species
Three or more sensitive fish species
WVDNR-HTP Species: Eastern sand darter
Significant warmwater fishery
County Reason for Designation
Pocahontas Various trout streams
Randolph Trout stream
High diversity, high equitability
WVDNR-HTP Species: Ohio lamprey, channel
darter
Three or more sensitive fish species
Randolph Trout stream
Randolph Various trout streams
Lightly buffered stream
Webster Trout stream
Significant warmwater fishery
Webster Trout stream
Webster ,
Randolph
Webster,
Randolph
Webster
Webster
Webster
Webster
Webster
Webster
Trout stream
Lightly buffered
Trout stream
Lightly buffered
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
stream
stream
Falls Run
Webster
High diversity, high equitability
Two or more macroinvertebrate indicator
species
Three or more sensitive fish species
Lightly buffered stream
Trout stream
28
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Table 4. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Elk River Basin, West Viryinia
(continued).
BIA Category II
Laurel Fork
Old Lick Creek
Right Fork of Holly River
Desert Fork
Laurel Creek
Sutton Reservoir
Webster
Webster
Webster
Braxton
Elk River (mainstem)
Braxton
Left Fork of Holly River
Birch River
Little Birch River
Robinson Fork
Elk River (mainstem only)
Braxton
Braxton
Braxton
Nicholas
Clay
Lilly Fork
Clay,
Nicholas
Reason for Designation
Trout stream
High diversity, high equitability
Three or more gamefish species
Three or more sensitive fish species
High diversity, high equitability
Lightly buffered stream
Three or more gamefish species
Three or more sensitive fish species
Trout stream
Three or more sensitive fish species
Lightly buffered stream
Important sport fishery
Two or more macroinvertebrate indicator
species
High diversity, high equitability
WVDNR-HTP Species: Silver lamprey
High diversity, high equitability
WVDNR-HTP Species: Paddlefish, channel
darter
Two or more macroinvertebrate indicator
species
Three or more gamefish species
Three or more sensitive fish species
Trout stream
Important warmwater fishery
Significant warmwater fishery
High diversity, high equitability
Three or more gamefish species
Three or more sensitive fish species
Significant warmwater fishery
High equitability
High diversity, high equitability
WVDNR-HTP Species: Silver lamprey,
Tippecanoe darter, Eastern sand darter
Three or more gamefish species
Three or more sensitive fish species
Important warmwater fishery
Trout stream
High equitability
WVDNR-HTP Species: Ohio lamprey
29
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Table 4. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Elk River Basin, West Virginia
(concluded).
BIA Category II
Little Sycamore Creek
Elk Twomile Creek
Non-Sensitive Areas
Buffalo Creek
Clay,
Nicholas
Kanawha
County
Clay,
Nicholas
Reason for Designation
Two or more macroinvertebrate
species
Significant sport fishery
30
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The Gauley River Basin
Potentially Significant Impact Areas in
the Gauley River Basin (Figure 8) have been
designated by EPA on the basis of a variety
of criteria. Aquatic and water resource
evaluations have resulted in BIA Category II
identifications in the Basin (Figure 9 and
Table 5), which, in turn, are classified by
EPA as PSIA's. These areas are oriented
toward the eastern portion of the Basin,
typically in the higher elevations and
lesser developed areas where a variety of
aquatic resources such as trout, aquatic
species of special interest, and large and
varied aquatic populations (high diversity
and equitability values) are found.
In the Gauley River Basin, PSIA's also
have been determined on the basis of Federal
land holdings dedicated to multiple or
recreational use such as the Monongahela
National Forest, the Summersvile Lake
Recreation Area, and other Federal land
holdings and interests. All lands with
special Federal designations, including
lands with Federal fee-simple ownership and
Federal surface ownership, are considered to
be PSIA's. Included in these PSIA designa-
tions are National Special Interest Areas
such as the Cranberry Back Country, National
Wilderness Study Areas such as the Cranberry
Wilderness Study Area, and National Natural
Landmarks such as the Cranberry Glades
Botanical Area. EPA intends to rely sub-
stantially on the inputs of the respective
managing Federal agencies such as the US
Forest Service (Monongahela National Forest)
and US Army Corps of Engineers (Summersville
Lake Recreation Area) when issues of poten-
tial New Source mining impacts arise.
Regardless of other agency involvement and
coordination, however, EPA will make sure
that detailed site-specific evaluations are
undertaken when New Source mining is pro-
posed in or adjacent to these special
Federal land holdings and interests.
PSIA's in the Gauley River Basin
include the Gauley River, Cranberry River,
and Meadow River, all of which have been
designated by Congress as Study Rivers for
potential inclusion in the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System (established by P.L.
90-542 in 1968). The System is designed to
protect and preserve waters with
"...remarkable scenic, recreational, fish
and wildlife, historic, cultural, or other
similar values..." These Study Rivers,
administered by the US Department of the
Interior-Heritage Conservation and
Recreation Service, and a 1,000-foot buffer
zone on each side will be protected by EPA
through their PSIA classification.
In many instances, PSIA criteria over-
lap. For example, many BIA Category II
designations are included in the Monongahela
National Forest, further reinforcing the
importance of the detailed evaluations that
will be required by EPA in these areas prior
to New Source permit issuance. More speci-
fic PSIA locations are as follows.
o Gauley River. in Pocahontas, Webster,
and Rartdolph Counties, the Gauley River
watershed above the confluence with the
Williams River near the town of
Donaldson
o Williams River. in Pocahontas and
Webster Counties, the entire Williams
River watershed
o Tea Creek: in Pocahontas County, the Tea
Creek watershed
o Cranberry River: in Webster and
Pocahontas Counties, the Cranberry River
watershed above the Nicholas-Webster
County border approximately six miles
upstream from the town of Woodbine
o Cherry River. in Greenbrier ana Nicholas
Counties, the watershed of the Cherry
River, including the North Fork and South
Fork
o Laurel Creek: in Greenbrier and
Nicholas Counties, the entire watershed
o Summit Lake. in Greenbrier County, the
Lake with a generalized buffer zone
including adjacent areas immediately
upslope
o Taylor Run: in Nicholas County, the
Taylor Run watershed
o Panther Creek: in Nicholas County, the
Panther Creek watershed
o Muddlety Creek: in Nicholas County, the
Muddlety Creek watershed above the town
of Muddlety at the confluence of
McMillion Creek
31
-------
32
-------
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33
-------
Table 5. Summary of ma^or aquatic and water resources in the Gauley River Basin, West
Virginia. Waters include all watersheds unless specified as mainstem only. Lakes include
a generalized buffer zone around the waterbody, encompassing all areas (potential mine
sites) which would discharge directly into the lake.
BIA Category I County
Little Elk Creek Nicholas
Gauley River Webster,
(including Summersville Nicholas,
Lake) below confluence with Fayette
Williams River
Meadow River Greenbrier,
(below confluence with Fayette
Big Clear Creek)
BIA Category II County
Gauley River Pocahontas,
(above confluence Webster,
with Williams River) Randolph
Williams River Pocahontas,
Webster
Reason for Designation
Two or more macroinvertebrate indicator
species
Trout stream (Summersville Lake tailwaters)
and trout lake
Important sport fishery, especially in
Summersville Lake
High diversity, high eguitability
WVDNR-HTP Species: Finescale saddled darter
High equitability
Important sport fishery
Reason for Designation
The Gauley above its confluence with Big
Run is a trout stream; several of its
tributaries are also trout streams
High equitability, high diversity
WVDNR-HTP Species: Finescale saddled darter
The Williams above Dyer is a trout stream;
there are numerour trout streams in the
drainage
Two or more macroinvertebrate indicator
species
High diversity, high equitability
WVDNR-HTP Species: Finescale saddled darter,
Tonguetied minnow,
New River shiner
Tea Creek
Cranberry River
(above Nicholas-Webster
County Line)
Cherry River
(including N. & S.
Forks)
Pocahontas Trout stream
Two or more macroinvertebrate indicator
species
WVDNR-HTP Species: Finescale saddled darter
Webster, The Cranberry and several of its tributaries
Pocahontas are trout streams
Two or more macroinvertebrate indicator
species
WVDNR-HTP Species: Tonguetied minnow
Greenbrier, The Cherry and many of its tributaries are
Nicholas trout streams
Two or more macroinvertebrate indicator
species
WVDNR-HTP Species: Finescale saddled darter,
Tonguetied minnow
34
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Table 5. Summary of ma3or aquatic and water resources in the Gauley River Basin, west
Virginia (concluded).
BIA Category II
Laurel Creek
Summit Lake
Taylor Run
Panther Creek
Muddlety Creek
(above Muddlety)
Hominy Creek
Deer Creek
Collison Creek
Anglins Creek
Wolfpen Creek
Big Clear Creek
Little Clear Creek
County Reas_cxn tor Designation
Greenbrier, Trout stream
Nicholas WVDNR-HTP Species: Finescale saddled darter,
Tonyuetied minnow,
Kanawha minnow
Greenbrier Important sport fishery
Trout Lake
Nicholas Trout stream
Nicholas Trout stream
Two or more macroinvertebrate indicator
species
Nicholas Trout stream
Nicholas Hominy Creek and several of its tributaries
Greenbrier are trout streams
High equitability
Nicholas Trout stream
High equitability
Nicholas Trout stream
Nicholas, Anglins Creek and many of its tributaries
Greenbrier are trout streams
Fayette, Trout stream
Greenbrier
Greenbrier Big Clear Creek and several of its tribu-
taries are trout streams
Greenbrier Little Clear Creek and several of its
tributaries are trout streams
Non-Sensitive Areas
None
35
-------
o Hominy Creek: in Nicholas and Greenbrier
Counties, the entire watershed
o Deer Creek: in Nicholas County, the Deer
Creek watershed
o Collision Creek: in Nicholas County, the
Collision Creek watershed
o Anglins Creek: in Nicholas and
Greenbrier Counties, the entire
watershed
o Wolfpen Creek: in Fayette and Greenbrier
Counties, the entire watershed
o Big Clear Creek: in Greenbrier County,
the Big Clear Creek watershed
o Little Clear Creek: in Greenbrier
County, the Little Clear Creek watershed
o Monongahela National Forest: in
Nicholas, Webster, Pocahontas,
Greenbrier, and Randolph Counties, a
large area of Federal fee-simple and
surface ownership in the northeastern
portion of the Basin. The boundary is
extremely irregular; furthermore,
considerable areas within the boundary
are excluded from this PSIA because of a
lack of Federal ownership of any type.
Included are the Cranberry Back County
Special Interest Area, the Cranberry
Wilderness Study Area, the Cranberry
Glades Botanical Area, and numerous
Federal Recreation Areas managed by the
US Forest Service and the US Army Corps
of Engineers.
o Summersville Lake Recreation Area. in
Nicholas County, a US Army Corps ot
Engineers recreational area including
those areas currently owned in whole or
in part by the USAGE
o Gauley River: in Fayette, Nicholas,
Webster, Pocahontas, and Randolph
Counties, the mainstem corridor including
a 2,000-foot wide corridor centered on
the River, resulting from Wild and Scenic
River status
o Cranberry River: in Nicholas, Webster,
and Pocahontas Counties, the mainstem
corridor including a 2,000-foot wide
corridor centered on the River, resulting
from Wild and Scenic River status
o Meadow River: in Fayette, Nicholas, and
Greenbrier Counties, the mainstem corri-
dor including a 2,000-foot wide corridor
centered on the River, resulting from
Wild and Scenic River status.
BIA Category I designation as enumer-
ated in Figure 9 and Table 5 have been
identified by EPA on the basis of aquatic
and water resources data and are protected
by EPA through application of mitigative
measures. Other resources throughout the
Basin will trigger other mitigative
measures. No non-sensitive streams have
been identified by EPA in the Basin.
36
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The Guyandotte River Basin
The Areawide Environmental Assessment
Process in the Guyandotte River Basin has
designated the following PSIA's (Figures 10
and 11 and Table 6):
o Mud River: in Cabell County, the Mud
River watershed
o Ona Lake: in Cabell County, the Lake and
a generalized buffer including adjacent
areas immediately upslope
o Trace Fork: in Putnam and Lincoln
Counties, the watershed is a PSIA
o Buffalo Creek: in Wayne County, the
entire Buffalo Creek watershed
o Twelvepole Creek: in Wayne County, the
entire Twelvepole Creek watershed
o Beech Fork: in Wayne County, the entire
Beech Fork watershed
o Beech Fork Lake: in Wayne County, the
Lake and a generalized buffer including
adjacent areas immediately upslope
o Millers Fork: in Wayne County, the
Millers Fork watershed
o East Fork of Twelvepole Creek: in Wayne
County, the East Fork watershed
o Camp Creek: in Wayne County, the Camp
Creek watershed
o Lynn Creek: in Wayne County, the Lynn
Creek watershed
o East Lynn Lake: in Wayne County, the
Lake and a generalized buffer including
adjacent areas immediately upslope
in Wayne County, the
in Wayne County, the
in Wayne
in Lincoln County, the
Lick Creek:
watershed
Rich Creek:
watershed
Wer.t Fork of Twelvepole Creek:
County, the watershed
Big Creek:
watershed
Dairy Hollow: in Logan County, the
watershed of Dairy Hollow
Stone Hollow: in Logan County, the
watershed of Stone Hollow
Frog town Hollow: in Logan County, the
watershed of Frogtown Hollow
Tug Fork Mainstem: in Mingo, Wayne, and
McDowell Counties, the entire Tug Fork
mainstem from the town of Naugatauk
upstream
o Clear Fork:
watershed
o Laurel Fork:
water-shed
in Wyoming County, the
in Wyoming County, the
o Guyandotte River Mainstem: in Wyoming
County, the Guyandotte River mainstem
from R. D. Bailey Lake upstream
o Dry Fork: in McDowell County, the
watershed above the town of War
o Berwind Lake: in McDowell County, the
Lake and a generalized buffer including
adjacent areas immediately upslope.
These PSIA's exactly coincide with all
BIA Category II zones, determined on the
basis of existing aquatic and water resource
data. As Figure 11 and Table 6 indicate,
these BIA Category II's are located through-
out the Basin and are based on a wide
variety of aquatic resources. Mitigative
measures will be applied in BIA Category I
areas as well as in other areas where sensi-
tive and significant resources have been
identified. Non-sensitive areas, based on
aquatic and water resource evaluations, are
included in Table 6; no additional aquatic
and water resource measures beyond current
New Source effluent limitations are required
by EPA in non-sensitive areas.
37
-------
Figure 10
POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT
IMPACT AREAS IN THE
GUYANDOTTE RIVER BASIN
WATERSHEDS THAT
ARE PSIA's
RIVERS THAT ARE
PSIA's
38
-------
Figure II
BIOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT AREAS
AND NONSENSITIVE AREAS IN THE
GUYANDOTTE RIVER BASIN
CATEGORY I
CATEGORY E
UNCLASSIFIED AREAS
•••••••• NONSENSITIVE STREAMS
NOTE:
STREAM CORRIDOR BIOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT AREAS HAVE BEEN EXAGGERATED FOR
MAP READIBILITY.
39
-------
Table 6. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Guyandotte River Basin, West
Virginia. Waters include all watersheds unless specified as aiainstem only. Lakes include
a generalized buffer zone around the waterbody, encompassing all areas (potential mine
sites) which would discharge directly into the lake.
BIA Category I
Davis Creek
Fourpole Creek
Guyandotte River (Mainstem)
Big Ugly Creek
Chief Logan Ponds (ponds only)
Huff Creek
Laurel Lake
Laurel Fork
Pigeon Creek
R.D. Bailey Lake
Little Huff Creek
Horse Creek Lake
Indian Creek
Pinnacle Creek
Panther Creek
Clear Fork (of Tug Fork)
County Reason for Designation
Cabell Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Cabell Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Unusual macroinvertebrate species
Rhyacophilia ribox (Applin and Tarter 1977)
Lincoln, High diversity, high equitability
Logan WVDNR-HTP Species: Percina copelandi
Mingo
Lincoln Macroinvertebrate indicator species
High diversity
Logan Trout lakes
Logan, Trout stream
Wyoming High diversity
Mingo Trout lake
Important sport fishery (USFWS 1978)
Mingo Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Unusual macroinvertebrate species
Baetisca berneri (Tarter, and Kirchner 1978)
Alloperla aracoma (Harper and Kirchner 1978;
PeltoperTa arcuata (Tarter et al. 1976)
Mingo High diversity
Mingo, Recreational area and important sport
Wyoming fishery
Wyoming High diversity
Wyoming Trout lake
Wyoming High diversity, high equitability
Wyoming Trout stream
High diversity
McDowell Trout stream
Unusual macroinvertebrate species
Baetisea berneri (Tarter and Kirchner 1978)
McDowell Trout stream
High diversity, high equitability
40
-------
Table 6. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Guyandotte River Basin, West
Virginia (continued).
BIA Category II
Mud River
Ona Lake
Trace Fork
Buffalo Creek
Twelvepole Creek
Beech Fork
Beech Fork Lake
Millers Fork
East Fork of Twelvepole Creek
Camp Creek
Lynn Creek
East Lynn Lake
Lick Creek
Rich Creek
West Fork of Twelvepole Creek
Big Creek
Dairy Hollow
Stone Hollow
Cabel
Putnam,
Lincoln
Wayne
Wayne
Wayne
Wayne
Wayne
Wayne
Wayne
Wayne
Wayne
Wayne
Wayne
Wayne
Lincoln
Logan
Logan
Reason for Designation
High diversity, high equitability
WVDNR-HTP Species: Ammocrypta pellucida
Phoxinus erythrogaster
Unusual macroinvertebrate species
Allocapnia ohioensis (Kirchner 1978)
Trout lake
High diversity
WVDNR-HTP Species: Phoxinus erythrogaster
Unusual macroinvertebrate species
Rhyacophilia ribox (Applin and Tarter 1977)
WVDNR-HTP Species: Phoxinus erythrogaster
Unusual macroinvertebrate species
Isoperla gibbsae (Kirchner 1978)
High diversity, high equitability
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Recreational area and important sport fishery
Unusual macroinvertebrate species
Rhyacophilia ledra (Applin and Tarter 1977)
High diversity
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Unusual macroinvertebrate species
Rhyacophilia ribox (Applin and Tarter 1977)
High diversity, high equitability
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Trout stream (Tailwaters of E. Lynn Lake)
WVDNR-HTP Species: Phoxinus erythrogaster
WVDNR-HTP Species: Phoxinus erythrogaster
Recreational area and important sport fishery
High diversity, high equitability
High diversity, high equitability
High diversity, high equitability
Trout stream
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
41
-------
Table 6. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Guyandotte River Basin, West
Virginia (concluded).
BIA Category II
Frogtown Hollow
Tug Fork (Mainstem)
Clear Fork
Laurel Fork
Dry Fork (upstream from War)
Berwind Lake
Non-Sensitive Areas
Buffalo Creek
Dry Fork (downstream from War)
Elkhorn Creek
Grave Creek
Mate Creek
Mitchell Branch
Tommy Creek
Copperas Mine Fork
Trace Fork
Mingo
McDowell
Wyoming
Wyoming
McDowell
McDowell
County
Logan
McDowell
McDowell
Raleigh
Mingo
Mingo
Raleigh
Logan
Logan
Reason for Designation
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Unusual macroinvertebrate species
Alloperia aracoma (Harper and Kirchner 1978)
High diversity, high equitability
Trout stream
Important sport fishery (Reed 1974)
Trout stream
Trout lake
Reason for Designation
42
-------
The Monongahela River Basin
Various resources in the Basin have
given rise to PSIA designations (Figure 12).
Federal land holdings dedicated to multiple
or recreational use such as the Monongahela
National Forest, the Tygart Lake Recreation
Area, and other Federal land holdings and
interests in fee-simple or surface ownership
have been assigned PSIA status. Included in
the National Forest are the Otter Creek and
Dolly Sods Wilderness Areas, the Fernow
National Experimental Forest, the Bowden
Federal Fish Hatchery, the Sinks of Gandy,
the Blackwater Falls Scenic Area, and other
resources. Several National Natural Land-
marks (the Gaudineer Scenic Area, Canaan
Valley, Shavers Mountain Spruce-Hemlock
Stand, Blister Run Swamp, Big Run Bog, and
Fisher Spring Run Bog) also are included in
the National Forest. The Cranesville Swamp
Nature Sanctuary, a National Natural Land-
mark not located within the Forest, also has
been designated a PSIA. EPA in all cases
intends to maximize input from the
respective Federal managing agencies (US
Forest Service for the National Forest and
US Army Corps of Engineers for the Tygart
Valley Recreation Area, for example) when
issues regarding New Source mining impacts
arise. Regardless of other agency involve-
ment and coordination, however, EPA will
assure that detailed site-specific evalua-
tions are conducted when New Source mining
is proposed in or adjacent to these special
Federal land holdings and interests.
PSIA's also are based on BIA Category
II zones which, in turn, reflect the exis-
tence of a wide variety of significant and
sensitive aquatic and water resources
(Figure 13 and Table 7). In many areas, BIA
Category II designations overlap with other
PSIA criteria.
Specif ic
follows:
PSIA
locations
are
Tygart Valley River: in Marion, Taylor,
Barbour, Upshur, and Randolph Counties,
this PSIA includes the Tygart Valley
River watershed upstream from Roaring
Creek as well as the watersheds of Teter
Creek, Frog Run, Webster Run, Wickwise
Run, the Buckhannon River (Panther Fork
and upstream), Sand Run, Fresh Creek,
Right Fork of Tenmile Creek, Little
Laurel Run, Middle Fork River (upstream
from Cassity Fork), Right Fork of Middle
Fork River, Hell Run, Service Run, and
Hang ing Run
o West Fork River: in Lewis and Upshur
Counties, the watershed of the River
upstream of Weston including Stonecoal
Creek
o Youghiogheny River; in Preston County,
the PSIA includes the watersheds of Snowy
Creek and Rhine Creek
o Whiteday Creek: in Monongalia County,
the Whiteday Creek watershed
o Cheat River: in Preston, Tucker,
Randolph and Pocahontas Counties, the
PSIA includes the watershed of the Cheat
River upstream from Pringle Run and the
watersheds of Dry Fork, Blackwater River
(upstream from Beaver Creek), Pendleton
Creek, Shavers Fork, Horseshoe Run,
Minear Run, Panther Run, Wolf Creek,
Buffalo Creek, Saltlick Creek, Bearwallow
Run, Elsey Run, Daugherty Run, Roaring
Creek (upstream from Lick Run), Muddy
Creek (upstream from Jump Rock Run),
Laurel Run, Laurel Creek, Blaney Hollow,
Clover Run, Slip Hill Mill Run, and Wolf
Run
Elklick Run:
watershed
Chaffey Creek:
watershed.
in Tucker County, the
in Tucker County, the
Areas where EPA will impose mitigative
measures specifically to protect aquatic and
water resources are shown in Figure 13 and
Table 7. Mitigative measures may be imposed
elsewhere depending upon the resources iden-
tified in the SID. Non-sensitive areas
relating to aquatic and water resources also
are presented in Figure 13 and Table 7. No
additional measures will be required by EPA
to protect the aquatic and water resources
identified in these waterbodies.
43
-------
PENNSYLVANIA
Figure 12
POTENTIALLY
SIGNIFICANT
IMPACT AREAS
IN THE MONONGAHELA
RIVER BASIN
WATERSHEDS
THAT ARE PSIA'S
44
-------
PENNSYLVANIA
Figure 13
BIOLOGICALLY
IMPORTANT
AREAS AND NON~
SENSITIVE AREAS
IN THE MONONGAHELA
RIVER BASIN
CATEGORY I
CATEGORY H
NON-SENSITIVE AREAS
45
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Table 7. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Monongahela River Basin, West
Virginia. Waters include all watersheds unless specified as mainstem only. Lakes include
a generalized buffer zone around the waterbody, encompassing all areas (potential mine
sites) which would discharge directly into the lake.
BIA Category I
Monongahela River Mainstem
Dunkard Creek
Westover Park Lake
Buffalo Creek
West Fork Mainstem
(Clarksburg to Weston)
Tenmile Creek (above
Rockcamp Run)
Elk Creek
Hackers Creek
Tygart Valley River Mainstem
(including Tygart Lake)
Buchannon River (from Panther
Fork to mouth)
Coopers Rock Lake
Big Sandy Creek
Cheat River Mainstem
(upstream from Pringle Run)
Thomas Park Lake
BIA Category II
Whiteday Creek (above
Smithtown)
Marion,
Monongalia
Monongalia
Monongalia
Marion
Harrison,
Lewis
Harrison
Harbour,
Harrison
Upshur,
Lewis,
Harrison
Marion,
Taylor,
Barbour
Reason for Designation
Important sport fishery
Important sport fishery
High diversity, high equitability
Trout lake
Important recreational fishery
Important recreational fishery
Important recreational fishery
Important recreational fishery
Important recreational fishery
High equitability
High equitability
Important recreational fishery
Important recreational fishery
Upshur, Important recreational fishery
Barbour
Monongalia Trout lake
Important recreational fishery
Macroinvertebrate sample composed of at
least 10 taxa and at least 50% sensitive
individuals
Monongalia High diversity, high equitability
Preston, High equitability, high diversity
Tucker (macroinvertebrates)
Important recreational fishery
Tucker Trout lake and important recreational
fishery
County Reason for Designation
Marion, Trout stream
Monongalia High equitability
46
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Table 7. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Monongahela River Basin, West
Virg inia (continued).
BIA Category II
West Fork River (upstream from
Weston, including Stonecoal
Creek)
Wickwire Run
Frog Run
Teter Creek
Brushy Fork
Little Laurel Run
Tygart Valley River
(above Roaring Creek)
Sand Run
French Creek
Right Fork (of Tenmile Creek)
Buckhannon River (upstream from
and including Panther Fork)
Hanging Run
Service Run
Hell Run
Right Fork of Tygart Valley
Middle Fork River (above
Cassity Fork)
Blaney Hollow
Laurel Creek (of Sandy Creek)
Taylor
Preston
Barbour
Barbour
Randolph
Randolph
Upshur
Upshur
Upshur
Uphur
Barbour
Upshur
Randolph
Upshur
Randolph
Monongalia
Preston
Reason for Designation
High diversity, high equitability
Recreational fishery (Stonecoal Lake)
Trout lake (Stonecoal Lake)
High diversity (macroinvertebrates)
High equitability
Trout stream
Trout stream, Trout lake
Trout stream, Trout lake
High equitability
Trout stream
Headwaters and numerous tributaries are
trout streams
High equitability, Recreational fishery
Two or more intolerant macroinvertebrates
Ten or more macroinvertebrate taxa and
senstitive species making up at least 50%
of the individuals
High equitability, high density
Trout stream
Trout stream
Headwaters of the Buckhannon and many
Buckhannon tributaries are trout streams
High equitability, high diversity
Macroinvertebrate sample comprised of at
least 10 taxa and at least 50% sensitive
individuals
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
High equitability
High equitability
Mainstem and many tributaries are trout
streams
Trout stream
Trout stream
47
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Table 7. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Monongahela River Basin, West
Virginia (continued).
BIA Category II
Webster Run (of L. Sandy Creek)
Laurel Run
Muddy Creek (above Jump Rock Fork)
Roaring Creek (above Lick Run)
Daugherty Run
Elsey Run
Bearwallow Run
Saltlick Run
Buffalo Creek
Wolf Creek
Panther Run
Clover Run
Minear Run
Horseshoe Run
Slip Hill Mill Run
Wolf Run
Elklick Run
Pendleton Creek
Chaffey Creek of Beaver Creek
Blackwater River
County
Preston
Preston
Preston
Preston
Preston
Preston
Preston
Preston
Preston
Preston
Preston,
Tucker
Tucker
Tucker
Tucker ,
Preston
Tucker
Tucker
Tucker
Tucker
Tucker
Tucker
Reason for Designation
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
High equitability
Mainstem and two other streams in watershed
are trout streams
Wolf and Little Wolf Creeks are trout
streams
Trout stream
Trout stream
High equitability
Trout stream
Mainstem and many of its tributaries are
trout streams
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout stream
Mainstem and several tributaries are trout
(above Beaver Creek)
streams
High diversity (macroinvertebrates)
48
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Table 7. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Monongahela River Basin, West
Virginia (continued).
BIA Category II
Shavers Fork
Dry Fork
Snowy Creek
Rhine Creek
Non-Sensitive Areas
Robinson Run (watershed)
West Run
Courtney Run
Scott's Run
Decker's Creek
Brand Run
Flaggy Meadow Run
Birchfield Run
Parker Run
West Fork Mainstem (Clarksburg
to mouth)
Horner's Run (of Booths Creek)
Purdy Run
Mudlick Run
Simpson Creek
Threefork Creek (watershed)
Sandy Creek (watershed)
Ford Run
Tygart Valley River (from
confluence with Roaring Creek
to confluence with Buckhannon
River
Tucker,
Randolph
Tucker,
Randolph
Preston
Preston
County
Monongalia
Monongalia
Monongalia
Monongalia
Monongalia
Monongalia
Monongalia
Monongalia
Marion
Marion,
Harrison
Marion
Marion,
Harrison
Harrison
Harrison,
Tyler,
Barbour
Taylor,
Preston
Taylor,
Barbour,
Preston
Barbour
Barbour,
Randolph
Reason for Designation
Numerous trout streams in watershed
Two or more intolerant macroinvertebrate
taxa
Macroinvertebrate sample composed of at
least 10 taxa and at least 50% sensitive
individuals
High diversity (macroinvertebrates)
High equitability
Important recreational fishery
Numerous trout streams in watershed
Two or more intolerant macroinvertebrate
taxa
Macroinvertebrate sample composed of at
least 10 taxa and at least 50% sensitive
individuals
High diversity (fish & macroinvertebrates)
High equitability
Trout stream
Trout stream
49
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Table 7. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Monongahela River Basin, West
Virginia (concluded).
Non-Sensitive Areas County
Mud Lick Run (of Fink Run) Upshur
Bridge Run (of Fink Run) Upshur
Middle Fork River (from Cassity Barbour,
Fork to mouth) Upshur,
Randolph
Whiteoak Run Upshur
Cassity Fork (watershed) Randolph
Island Creek Barbour
Beaver Creek Barbour,
Randolph
Grassy Run Randolph
Roaring Creek (watershed) Randolph
Cheat River (from Pringle Run Monongalia,
downstream) Preston
Scott Run Preston
Bull Run Preston
Conner Run Preston
Greens Run (watershed) Preston
Muddy Creek (below Jump Rock Run) Preston
Martin Creek (watershed) Preston
Jump Rock Run Preston
Roaring Creek (below confluence Preston
with Lick Run)
Morgan Run (watershed) Preston
Heather Run Preston
Lick Run Preston
Pringle Run Preston
Blackwater River (below confluence Tucker
with Beaver Creek)
Big Run Tucker
Tub Run Tucker
Lindy Run Tucker
Finley Run Tucker
North Fork (watershed) Tucker
Shays Run Tucker
Engine Run Tucker
Beaver Creek (watershed except for Tucker
Chaffey Creek)
50
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r
The Ohio/Little Kanawha River Basin
All PSIA designations in the
Ohio/Little Kanawha Basin resulted from
identification of significant and sensitive
aquatic resources (Figure 14 and 15 and
Table 8). PSIA's in this Basin, when con-
trasted with the other major river basins in
West Virginia, are not extensive. These
areas are clustered in the extreme southern
and eastern sections of the Basin, particu-
larly in the upper reaches of the Little
Kanawha River watershed, where trout and
other noteworthy species in sizable popula-
tions have been collected. PSIA locations
are as follows:
o North Fork Fishing Creek: in Wetzel
County, this PSIA includes the entire
watershed
o South Fork Fishing Creek: in Wetzel
County, the entire watershed
o McElroy Creek: in Tyler and Doddridge
Counties, the entire watershed
o Little Kanawha River: in Braxton, Lewis,
Upshur, and Webster Counties, the entire
watershed of the Little Kanawha River
from its confluence with Saltlick Creek
to its headwaters; this PSIA includes
major streams such as Saltlick Creek,
Knawls Creek, Falls Creek, Crooked Run,
and the Right and Left Forks of Little
Kanawha River
o Little Kanawha River Mainstem: in
Braxton, Calhoun, and Gilmer Counties,
this PSIA includes only the mainstem
corridor of the River from its confluence
with Saltlick Creek downstream to the
western Basin border near Annamoriah.
In the Ohio/Little Kanawha River Basin,
several watersheds and stream corridors have
been identified as BIA Category I's, where
special mitigative measures will be required
by EPA to protect aquatic and water
resources. Non-sensitive areas could be
designated on the basis of the existing
aquatic resource data.
51
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Figure 14
POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AREAS IN
THE OHIO RIVER BASIN
WATERSHEDS THAT ARE PSIA's
RIVERS THAT ARE PSIA's
MONON6AUA CO
52
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Figure 15
BIOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT AREAS AND
NONSENSITIVE AREAS INTHE OHIO RIVER
BASIN
CATEGORY I
CATEGORY I
UNCLASSIFIED AREAS
NONSENSITIVE AREAS
-------
Table 8. Summary of ma^or aquatic and water resources in the Ohio/Little Kanawha River
Basin, West Virginia. Waters include all watersheds unless specified as mainstem only.
Lakes include a generalized buffer zone around the waterbody, encompassing all areas
(potential mine sites) which would discharge directly into the lake.
BIA Category I
Tomlinson Run
Hardin Run (Mainstem)
Kings Creek
Cross Creek
Castleman's Run Lake
Bear Rock Lakes
Wheeling
Burches Run Lake
Grave Creek
Coon Run Embayment*
Ohio River*
(Hannibal Lock and Dam)
Sugar Creek
Point Pleasant Creek
Middle Island Creek (Mainstem)
Indian Creek
Conaway Run Lake
Buckeye Creek
Meathouse Fork
Hancock
Hancock
Brooke
Brooke
Ohio
Ohio,
Marshall
Marshall
Marshall
Marshall
Wetzel
Pleasant,
Tyler
Tyler
Tyler
Tyler
Tyler
Doddridge
Doddridge
Reason for Designation
Trout stream
High diversity, high equitability
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Trout stream
Trout stream
Trout lake
Trout lake
Trout stream
Trout lake
Trout lake
High equitability
High diversity
WVDNR-HTP Species: Notropis buchanani
Hybopsis storeriana
WVDNR-HTP Species: Hybobsis storeriana
Notropis buchanani
Percina copelandi
High equitability
High equitability
WVDNR-HTP Species: Mooneye
Recreational fishery
High equitability
Trout lake
High equitability
WVDNR-HTP Species: Notropis dorsalis
*Although these areas qualify as a Category I BIA, the size of flow and extent of dilution in
the Ohio River is such that these identified biota are not expected to be affected by New
Source coal mines, as regulated. Special protection beyond the New Source effluent
limitations, therefore, is not required.
54
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Table 8. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Ohio/Little Kanawha River
Basin, West Virginia (continued).
BIA Category I
Arnold Creek (Mainstem)
Bonds Creek
Pennsboro Water Supply Reservoir
Sand Fork (Mainstem)
Oil Creek
BIA Category II
North Fork Fishing Creek and
tributaries
South Fork Fishing Creek and
tributaries
McElroy Creek and tributaries
Little Kanawha River (Mainstem below
confluence with Saltlick Fork)
Little Kanawha River watershed (from
confluence with Saltlick Creek
upstream—see below)
Saltlick Creek
Knawls Creek
Falls Creek
Little Kanawha River
Crooked Run
Little Kanawha River
Right Fork of Little Kanawha River
Wetzel
Tyler,
Doddridge
Braxton,
Calhoun,
Gilmer
Braxton,
Lewis,
Upshur,
Webster
Braxton
Braxton
Braxton
Braxton
Lewis
Lewis
Lewis
Reason for Designation
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
High diversity
Trout lake
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Reason for Designation
Trout stream
High diversity, high equitability
WVDNR-HTP Species: Phoxinum erythrogaster
Trout stream
High equitability
High diversity and high equitability
High diversity
WVDNR-HTP Spe c i e s:
Ammocrypta pellucida
Etheostoma tippecanoe
Polyodon spaThula
Clinostomus elongatus
High diversity, high equitability
High diversity, high equitability
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
High diversity
Macroinvertebrate indicator species
Trout stream
Trout stream
55
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Table 8. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the Ohio/Little Kanawha River
Basin, West Virginia (concluded).
BIA Category II Reason for Designation
Right Fork of Little Kanawha River Webster Trout stream
Left Fork of Little Kanawha River Upshur Trout stream
High equitability
Little Kanawha River Upshur Trout stream
Non-Sensitive Areas County
None
56
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The North Branch Potomac River Basin
PSIA designations in the North Branch
Potomac River Basin coincide exactly with
BIA Category II areas (Figure 16 and Table
9). In all cases, these areas are trout
stream watersheds. In the case of New
Creek, one species of special interest (the
Potomac sculpin) as listed by the WVDNR-
Heritage Trust Program also has been identi-
fied. Specific PSIA locations are as
follows:
Fairfax Run:
watershed
in Grant County, the entire
o Wilsonia Run: in Grant County, the
entire watershed
o Elk Run: in Grant County, the entire
watershed
o Dobbin Ridge Run: in Grant County, the
entire watershed
o Red Oak Creek: in Grant County, the
entire watershed
o Buffalo Creek: in Grant County, the
entire watershed upstream from the con-
fluence with Little Buffalo Creek
Difficult Creek:
entire watershed
in Grant County, the
o Unnamed Stony River Tributaries: in
Grant County, these watershed areas
extend upstream from the extreme
southernmost reach of Stony River Reser-
voir and are bounded on the west and
south by the Grant-Tucker County border.
o Wymer Run: in Grant County, the
watershed
o Wycroff Run: in Grant County, the
watershed
o Johnnycake Run:
watershed
in Grant County, the
New Creek: in Grant and Mineral
Counties, the watershed
Howe11 Run:
watershed.
in Mineral County, the
No BIA Category I areas were identi-
fied, and no non-sensitive streams could be
determined from existing data.
57
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Figure 16
POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AREAS IN
THE NORTH BRANCH POTOMAC RIVER BASIN,
WEST VIRGINIA. These areas are the water-
sheds of Category II Biologically Important Areas.
58
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Table 9. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the North Branch Potomac River
Basin, West Virginia. Waters include all watersheds unless specified as mainstem only.
Lakes include a generalized buffer zone around the waterbody, encompassing all areas
(potential mine sites) which would discharge directly into the lake.
BIA Category I
None
BIA Category II
Fairfax Run
Wilsonia Run
Elk Run
Dobbin Ridge Run
Red Oak Creek
Buffalo Creek (above confluence
with Little Buffalo Creek)
Difficult Creek
Un-named Stony River Tributary
Un-named Stony River Tributary
Un-named Stony River Tributary
Un-named Stony River Tributary
Un-named Stony River Tributary
Wymer Run
Wycroff Run
Johnnycake Run
New Creek Dam #14
Howell Run
New Creek
Non-Sensitive Areas
Buffalo Creek (below confluence
with Little Buffalo Creek)
Glade Run
Little Buffalo Creek
County
Grant
Grant
Grant
Grant
Grant
Grant
Grant
Grant
Grant
Grant
Grant
Grant
Grant
Grant
Grant
Mineral
Mineral
Mineral ,
Grant
County
Grant
Grant
Grant
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Trout
Reaso:
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
Trout stream
WVDNR-HTP Species
Reason for Designation
Reason for Designation
Potomac sculpin
59
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Table 9. Summary of major aquatic and water resources in the North Branch Potomac River
Basin, West Virginia (concluded).
Non-Sensitive Areas
Little Creek
Stony River (below US Rt. 50)
Abram Creek
North Branch of Potomac
(headwaters to Luke MD)
Emory Creek
Lynwood Run
Montgomery Run
Piney Swamp Run
Slaughterhouse Run
Grant,
Mineral
Grant,
Mineral
Mineral
Mineral
Mineral
Mineral
Mineral
60
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APPENDIX
Ray George
Environmental Protection Agency
Wheeling Field Office
303 Methodist Building
llth and Chapline Streets
Wheeling, West Virginia 26003
Mr. Stephen Crowley
Morgantown Public Library
373 Spruce Street
Morgantown, West Virginia 26505
Mrs. Ellen Ontko
Clarksburg - Harrison Public Library
404 West Pike Street
Clarksburg, West Virginia 26301
Ms. Catherine Wilson
Gibson Public Library
Buckhannon, West Virginia 26201
Ms. Helen W. Feaster Librarian
Elkins - Randolph County Public Library
416 Davis Avenue
Elkins, West Virginia 26241
BCR, Inc.
Library
350 Hockberg Road
Monroeville, PA 15146
Cross Lanes Branch Library
5451 Big Tyler Road
Nitro, West Virginia
Southern Area Library
Lost Creek
West Milford, West Virginia
Elizabeth Stevenson Memorial Library
400 North Broad Street
Summersville, West Virginia 26651
Clendenin Public Library
104 Cardinal Street
Elkview, West Virginia
Kanawha County of Public Library
123 Capitol Street
Charleston, West Virginia
So. Chas. Public Library
312 4th Avenue
South Charleston, West Virginia
Belaire Public Library
32nd and Guernsey
Bellaire, Ohio
Bridgeport Public Library
334 Main Street
Bridgeport, Ohio
City-County Public Library
700 5th Street
Moundsville, West Virginia
Martins Ferry Public Library
20 South 5th Street
Martins Ferry, Ohio
McMechen Public Library
23 8th Street
Wheeling, West Virginia
Miracle Valley Regional Library
700 5th Avenue
Moundsville, West Virginia
Ohio County Public Library
52 16th Street
Wheeling, West Virginia
61
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Coal Mining and a Clean Environment:
The Time is Now...
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