### TESTIMONY BEFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY HEARINGS- THURSDAY, MAY 24,2012

Good afternoon, members of the Environmental Protection Agency. I am Sylvia C. Ridgeway,
a resident of Huntington West Virginia. My comments focus on the environment in the state of West Virginia.

West Virginia is known sthe mountain state, with its beautiful, healthy mountains, streams and valleys. Yet, many are being destroyed by mountaintop mining. Though West Virginia mining is important because coal production serves a great percentage of the heating in this nation, big mining companies resist EPA regulations that call for cleaner coal processing, that which is safe for miners and to the health of all who live near t he mining operations. It appears that the important focus is profit rather than the health of West Virginians. A study done on communities affected by mountaintop mining on Coal River in Raleigh and Boone Counties on a total of 409 people and in Pocahontas County on a total of 360, a non-mining community, revealed that cancer rates were higher in the mining community than in the nonmining community. The cancer rate was higher in ways not explainable by age, gender, smoking, occupational exposure, or family history of cancer.
On a personal level, myyoungest son, who is now 47 years old, was diagnosed with chronic asthma before age one; I was diagnosed with asthma only four years ago. To my knowledge,
no one in our family was asthmatic, so the answer is possibly poor air quality due to chemical pollution. My son moved to California, where smog is heavy but, to our family's surprise, he gets along fine. It isn't until his plane touches down when he comes home for a visit that he begins to have asthma attacks and must use an inhaler, as I do also.
Chronic diseases do not happen by accident. The fact is, America is hooked on coal, and, according to the executive summary of a report titled "Coal Blooded: Putting Profits Before People", the "coal blooded charts" of that report revealed that of ten coal plants that were studied in West Virginia, the John Amos plan in Winfield received a failing plant grade of D+ because of the percentage of chemical emissions it causes. Needless to say, poor whites and people of color live near these power plants. Approximately 71% of African Americans live in
areas in violation of air pollution standards. Race, over income, is the #I predictor of whether
a person lives near a polluting facility. An African American making $50,000 per year is more likely to live in an area cited for air pollution that a White American making only $15,000 per year.

### -!.-

Certain studies reveal that plant pollution emissions in the U.S. are responsible for 30,000 Premature deaths, 7,000 asthma-related emergency room visits, and 18,000 cases of chronic bronchitis each year. Asthma affects African Americans at a46 percent higher rate of incidence than White Americans. In West Virginia, asthma is relatively high.

The Marcellus shale process known as "tracking" must not be overlooked. Fracking is responsible for gas leaks and water pollution that are causing people and animals to become sick, and is making it possible for some people to light their tap water on fire.

Included as an addendum to my comments are pictures which depict the dangers of contamination to people's well water supply. One picture shows an October 2009 cleanup of a coal sludge spill. Another reveals dark red water in a bath tub; it is this poisoned water by slurry that can cause skin rash, birth defects, cancers, hair loss, kidney problems and more.
To conclude, there is no doubt that the environmental issue must be resolved between the EPA and state legislatures. Drilling permits need to be awarded with caution, based on the areas and degrees of drilling, cost to families, and enough EPA monitors to ensure that the process of mine and gas drilling
are done properly and safely, so that our air, water and land in West Virginia and across the nation are protected against lung disease, cancer, and chronic conditions that cause insurance rates to skyrocket, hospitals to become overcrowded, and to ultimately reject the idea that profit is more important than the health of our citizens. Thank you.

s.c.ridgeway@att.net

# PICTURES

HELP

TELL

THE
STORY!!!**·~-- ·~·~** **iD~~S ~**  

### BJf:ige

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--**~ -~**  --**~** Ti1e!'e is no accountabilityfor**w~ste wate~**  disposal. 7h2**O!"!~Y** W2.jl**'~C** detect megaIdumping is to catch the

Whii2 the**J~P** advis2s injection offrack:ng flowback in !lllderg:roureZ we!is,**t~1e ·~uture**  capacity ofundergrm.md ir.jection is**qu~s::or.ade,** and**~her~** ar2**~o** vlab\2 alternativ2s. ?its**~hat hz~C** **~J~,rastewa',:er** are buried 'Jns:te aiong with :he**s~udqe** ofto}:;c**sedi~erit** mat:r.g the liner. '0
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_.>::,: ::.-::,**:~ ~.** **~aiiure** of{ementing an.d .:csi:1g is ieadir.g to blow· outs**a~C** 'Nater I.Neli**:ontam~nation.** Spiiis, !eaks ar.d explosior.s O{car, but .emergeilcy and deanup**.-::;ev~,-·s** de**;10~ ~mmeG~ate~y**  kr!ow the chemica.s invoived.**-·----~** ·-··**-~** Ou lNestVirginia Uepartment of**Envircnmen~ai** Protection lacks the resources to**dea~** with the**ov~rw~e!ming** surge**i!~** Marcel!us shalegas driiiing.

Accumulated emissions offlaring, ver.ting and**;eaK~!l£'** at weHs, compressor stations and pipelines and exhaust cf ·;:hm..lsands ofc:esel trucks :n areas ofconcentrated drilling
are**~xc-:;ecEns ::~r**  =!ua\lty**~ea!~h** !bits. Require mandatory**pe~mits** with recorded logging ofwater withdrawa!s for Marcellus gas drilling.

) '";**-~** - Enact regulation requiring 

### aclosed loop system for containment ofwaste water with ;-ecorded logging ofdisposal volumes. Enact astate water quality standard forTotal Dissolved Solids of250 mg/l, consistent with the federal standard for prote(ting human health.**~nact** regulation requiring disposal ofpit liners and contents: jr, authorized hazardous waste facilities. Require onsite inspection and approval ofcement bond log and casing integritytest byWVDEP before drilling proceeds. Require public disclosiure ofall chemicals used in trackfluid. Require emergency plans as qualification for granting permits. Require permitfees and severance taxes sufficient to cover thefull costs ofexpanded inspection and enforcement, road repair, and an environmental remediation fund. Taxpayers should not payfor costs generated by industry.

Enanreguiation r!!quiring air quality monitoring a!ld use ofbestmanagementprocesses for controlling emissions in gas drilling de'!elopment 

### areas, particularly compressor statlons.\_____._- 

# E)ludge Satet_y**Pr~ect**

A Project of Coal RiverMountain Watch, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and West Virginia Communities

Photo: Oct. 2009 Cleanup ofCoal Sludge Spill**·-·-~~__j**



### ·-**~::.~** __.**~** ' '

# Co~l 

# Sludge impacts

Underground Injection Impacts: A PublicHealth 

### Crisis
Slurry can travel underground and poison drinking wells. Heavy ,netals in slurry are sometimes thousands uf times g:eater than safe drinking vv·ater limits.
\Vater poisoned by slurry can cause senous health problems -birth defects, caLccrs, skin t-ashcs, hair loss, attention deficit disorder in children, kidney problems and more.**·.··~.·** '



### .., •.



### Underground Injection Impacts: PublicSafetyEmergencies lw.poundments are public safety eme:gencies \Vaiting to happen.

These huge unlined impoundments leach chemicals and metals into local streams, poisoniog streams and rivers. Impoundment dams have broken and burst, burying local communities under literai \'Vails of toxic sludge. The Buffalo Creek dam break and ;\·lartin County impoundment burst proved that sludge ponds pose 

### a consta!lt emergency threat to loc::3.l communities.