Our look at
BLAKE RUN FALLS
WEST VIRGINIA

UPDATES

December 10, 2011 - Following orders from the U.S. EPA, Chesapeake Energy restored the waterfall that was removed as part of Chesapeake's drilling activities. The agency continues to investigate Chesapeake for allegedly violating the federal Clean Water Act in Wetzel County between Jan. 2007 and Nov. 2010. EPA has the ability to fine Chesapeake as much as $50,000 per day for allegedly removing the waterfall to create a gravel road in the stream channel of Blake Fork. (Story)

August 16, 2011 - Chesapeake Energy is still working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to resolve the company's allegedly unauthorized filling of streams and waterfall removal in Wetzel County. According to the orders, EPA has the ability to fine Chesapeake as much as $200,000 per day for the work, which included the alleged removal of a waterfall to create a gravel road in the stream channel of Blake Fork, about 2.4 miles north of the intersection of W.Va. 89, near Proctor. Blake Fork and three other streams affected by Chesapeake's drilling activities are tributaries of Fish Creek, which flows into the Ohio River. (Story)

WEST VIRGINIA -- Imagine having your favorite photo spot suddenly turn into a gravel road. That is exactly what happened in northern West Virginia when Chesapeake Energy developed a nearby well site.

According to a Chesapeake spokesperson, the waterfall and stream shown in the photos below were already a road. But according to local residents, this is yet another travesty of environmental degradation by the Marcellus Shale gas drilling industry.

The sequence of "before," "after," and "after-after" photos below paint a better picture than words ever can say, so here they are for you to judge:

From a nearby resident:
"I guess this is their idea of reclaiming - they removed most of the gravel, but the rock shelf has been broken off, and they just moved some of the big rocks back into the creek."

Chesapeake spokeswoman:
"It was already a road."

Reality:
West Virginia's DEP took no enforcement action against Chesapeake Energy for this incident. The US EPA Region 3 Criminal & Civil staff are taking the lead.

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Our look at BLAKE RUN FALLS WEST VIRGINIA

Our look at
BLAKE RUN FALLS
WEST VIRGINIA