OMAR, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection will be conducting dye testing in Logan County for several days starting on Monday to try to determine the source of water that has flooded the yards of several residents.
The non-toxic dye being used is bright red, and residents of the Omar area along state Route 44 should not be alarmed if they see it in local creeks.
Homeowners have questioned whether the water in their yards is coming from a nearby abandoned mine site previously remediated by the DEP’s Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation. Lab samples taken by DEP in 2011 and dye testing and lab samples taken by a third party in 2013 showed no connection between the abandoned mine discharges and the water in residents’ yards. Based on those evaluations, it was determined that the yard flooding was most likely due to improper drainage in the slump in which the houses are located.
Because residents have again expressed concern that the yard flooding may be connected to the abandoned mine, the DEP agreed to do another round of dye testing. The agency hopes to have preliminary results back by the end of next week and more detailed lab data the following week.