Inspectors with the West Virginia Department
of Environmental Protection said Thursday they do not expect any violations
will be written over a mine blowout in Boone County
The incident happened Wednesday
night in a closed section of the Hobet Mining Complex on Berry Branch near the
Boone-Lincoln county line. Inspectors said a wet seal on the abandoned deep
mine failed and allowed water to pour out of the mine entry and drain into
Berry Branch.
Officials say the seal on the mine
already had a pipe draining water from underground into Berry Branch, but the
increased flow of water with recent rain and snowmelt may have caused the seal
to fail. Water pouring out was clear and did not appear to contain any
contaminants. The water was sent to the lab for testing.
Berry Branch flows into the Mud River
