Crews are cleaning up after a black water spill turns a creek black in Martin County.
Officials say early Tuesday morning, the black water leaked from a Martin County Coal Company Mine into nearby Cold Water Creek.
The creek is black after officials say a valve leaked at nearby Martin County Coal. Tests show nothing in the water is hazardous.
Slurry fills at least ten miles of Cold Water Creek.
“It's a mixture in the water, just like if you take dirt in water, you get muddy water. This is basically the same thing here,” Lee Gauze said.
Emergency Management Directors say a valve broke at Martin County Coal, leaking dozens of gallons of slurry to spill into the creek.
Officials are monitoring the situation carefully.
“All the reports has this is not going to affect any of or residences in the cold water area. It's not sludge like we had a few years ago,” Gauze said.
Good news for Glenn Cornette who lives by the creek, down the road from the mine.
“Why this ain't nothing,” Cornette said.
It brings back memories of the last slurry spill, almost ten years ago.
“It's not like it was last time. Last time it was about six feet on that big oil field up there. Oh yeah, you don't want to see that, but this little black water don't mean nothing,” Cornette said.
Crews have set up dikes and boons to catch it.
“It's starting to settle. That means what they treated the creek with is working,” Gauze said.
Officials say the faulty valve is already repaired.
Crews do not know how long clean-up will take, but hope to finish soon.
Enviro Pro is in charge of the clean-up.
Officials with the division of water and mines and minerals are monitoring the scene.
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