‘Richard Mine’ focuses on source of orange sediment
Newsroom@DominionPost.com
Arthurdale Heritage will host a special exhibit “The Richard Mine” today through Dec. 18, focusing on the source and cause of the orange sediment that taints the Deckers Creek watershed.
The Arthurdale Museum Complex is about 1.2 miles beyond the W.Va. 7 and W.Va. 92 intersection, off W.Va. 92 South.
According to Friends of Deckers Creek, the exhibit aims to reconnect the community with the history of the Richard Mine in Dellslow. It also hopes to remind everyone of the environmental legacy of the mine, which was abandoned in the early 1950s.
That legacy includes acid mine drainage, which is the largest single source of contamination in Deckers Creek. The resulting solution of metals in that drainage when exposed to air and water produces the bright orange precipitate linked to AMD.
Today, FODC is committed to helping treat the acid mine drainage that still flows from the mine.
This exhibit also pays tribute to the region’s mining and industrial heritage in the Deckers Creek Corridor, while pointing out efforts to restore this watershed to good health, allowing for recreation and further environmental stewardship.
The original exhibit was funded with the help of the West Virginia Humanities Council and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The exhibit is open for viewing from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays.
For more information, call Arthurdale Heritage at 304-864-3959, email ahi@ArthurdaleHeritage.org, 304-292-3970 or email info@deckerscreek.org.
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