A 45,000-ton stockpile of rock salt on J.F. Allen Co. property has caused concern from one local state senator who claims there could be potential danger to the Tygart Valley River. West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and officials from J.F. Allen say the concerns are unwarranted and the salt does not threaten the environment.
Sen. Clark S. Barnes, R-15th District, wrote a letter to WVDEP Cabinet Secretary Randy Huffman outlining his concerns with the stock pile. The letter was also sent to the mayors of Junior, Belington and Philippi and the Norton-Harding-Jimtown Public Service District. Barnes provided a copy of the letter to The Inter-Mountain.
"The big negative is the location to the Tygart Valley River," Barnes told The Inter-Mountain. "My major concern is downstream pollution."
Barnes told The Inter-Mountain several people have raised concerns about the potential environmental harm the salt pile could cause and that's why he began asking questions.
Last year, Barnes originally contacted the WVDEP because the salt pile was left uncovered. The WVDEP worked with J.F. Allen to ensure the salt was covered.
In a letter to Huffman dated Oct. 12, Barnes said he appreciated the response but is still so concerned with the salt pile's proximity to the river that he had asked for a water sample.
"Through a verbal Freedom of Information request to your department, I have received water sample results from this location. By your own analysis, suspended solids were found to be 338 ppm (parts per million) and cyanide levels were found to be 13.2 ppm," Barnes wrote in the letter.
However, J.F. Allen officials and Huffman say those results aren't accurate and they're not sure where Barnes obtained the information.
"I do not know where he (Barnes) got the information, but it is nowhere on file," J.F. Allen General Manager Steve Sherrard said. "I have to sample the water and it is sent to an independent lab for testing, then to Charleston. I have never seen any results like that."
According to Sherrard, the product sodium hexacyanoferrate, also known as sodium ferrocyanide, does contain cyanide but it is not dangerous. It is a food-grade chemical approved by the FDA as an anti-caking agent used in the salt to prevent it from clumping.
Salt Institute Technical Director Morton Satin says ferrocyanide is a common additive that poses no danger.
"Anti-caking agents are additives used in such things as salt to keep the product from forming lumps, making it better for packaging, transport and for the consumer," Satin wrote in an e-mail. "In Europe and the United States of America, sodium and potassium ferrocyanide are common anti-caking agents in all salt, including table salt. Although the name ferrocyanide sounds scary, the material itself is not toxic. It has been used for over a century without problems. The only way you can release the cyanide portion is under highly acidic conditions, which do not occur in nature."
Huffman visited the J.F. Allen site on Wednesday to look into Barnes' concerns.
"The whole issue of cyanide is blown way out of proportion. Our requirements for cyanide is to report only," Huffman said. "They use this anti-caking agent called sodium hexacyanoferrate. There is a requirement that cyanide be tested for because of the monitoring requirements. There is no concern over cyanide and even if you had a process for pulling the cyanide out of the salt, you could not get enough to make a difference."
"The salt pile is completely covered except when they are loading or unloading so the contact with rain water is minimized," Huffman said. "We are watching very closely what goes into the river to determine if any further action is needed. Right now we are not concerned. We are pretty early in the process."
In his letter, Barnes asks if any downstream municipalities were warned of any potential dangers. Huffman said there are no dangers.
"We are not concerned over any dangers to warn anyone," Huffman said. "We are the Department of Environmental Protection and if we feel if there was something going in the water to warn people downstream, we would not allow it to go in the water to begin with."
Huffman said J.F. Allen Co. has a general permit that requires consistent material handling to minimize contact of the salt and rain water. He said the company is required to do water sampling to gauge how the material handling plan is working.
"We have a permit and have had one since day one," Sherrard said. "We have had no violations. I would not have a product that would harm the stream. J.F. Allen knew before 1 ton of salt was put here that it was not dangerous."
The salt pile is setting on 8 inches of sealed black top. A trench surrounds the pile and drains into a holding pond. The pile is 5 feet above the 1985 flood level.
West Virginia Bureau of Public Health representative Bill Toomey said their district engineer, who oversees the water supply, also received Barnes' letter. Toomey's source water protection program helps public utilities with the watershed and takes precautions to prevent any discharges into the river. He said they have not received any complaints from any of the water utilities at this time.
"I want to assure the people that live along the Tygart that we have worked with the company to develop a permit and it is a good permit," Huffman said. "It is something that will become a better permit over time. That is the way the general permits are designed."
In his letter, Barnes also alleges that the WVDEP water quality inspectors were given instructions to take a "hands-off" approach to the issue.
"I have been told the DEP officials are handling it as a hands-off policy," Barnes said. "I am looking for answers. It is DEP's responsibility to find those answers. The big negative is the location - the Tygart Valley River. My major concern is downstream pollution. We got some water samples there that are not good."
Barnes said the alleged policy raises questions as to whether everything is being handled properly.
"To be told by DEP personnel that they have been issued a hands-off raises a red flag to me that everything has not been done to protect the stream," Barnes said.
Huffman said the WVDEP does not have any policy like that.
"That is utter nonsense. I do not give inspectors those kinds of instructions. That is an abuse of authority and inappropriate at any level," Huffman said. "I am not sure where that kind off allegation would come from."
Huffman said there are salt piles throughout the state in Division of Highways' garages and it is the same salt spread on the roads in the winter.
He said the facility at J.F. Allen is good for the state because it helps keep costs lower.
"We have spent a long time working with the DOH to come up with a system to cover their salt. They are all covered now and they also have a permit that is very similar," Huffman said.
Delegate Bill Hartman, D-37th District, describes the salt pile as a win-win situation for everyone involved. He said the state will see a substantial savings in what it pays for salt. In addition, the local economy will benefit - the West Virginia Rail Authority will get a return on its investment because the Durbin & Greenbrier Railroad will have freight to haul, J.F. Allen will have an additional revenue source and private truckers will have work in the winter, according to Hartman.
"I cannot see any negative about it all," Hartman said. "J.F. Allen was absolutely professional from day one. They went to the DEP and got the permits. The letter that was written criticizing the operation without the author knowing anything about the project was an absolute travesty. Anybody in a position of responsibility who is that dilatory about gathering facts on an issue is just absolutely irresponsible as far as I am concerned."
Hartman said he and Delegate Mike Ross, D-37th District, and Sen. Walt Helmick, D-15th District, have been working on the project for more than a year.
"We want to see it succeed," Hartman said. "I have been involved in it over a year and have been very excited for it."
Hartman said with the requirements the WVDEP placed on J.F. Allen Co. there is no necessity for anyone downstream to be concerned about pollution.
"There is an additive that is even in table salt. If it was not added, you would have to take an ice pick every time you wanted to salt your popcorn," Hartman said. "The whole letter is just irresponsible. There is very little facts in it at all."
According to Helmick, the salt pile provided a more economical way to treat roads last winter and before the location was selected he met with everyone involved including the WVDEP and J.F. Allen Co. in his office.
"They discussed the issue to make sure we are on the same page. We had the meeting to make sure we were being environmentally safe," Helmick said. "My involvement is to make sure the roads are clear in the winter. With this case we are using our own people."
Helmick said the meeting and permit process took care of any environmental concerns.
"The DEP will protect the environment," Helmick said. "That is what we hire them to do. I cannot second-guess their expertise."
Sherrard said he conducted extensive research before deciding to have the salt stock pile.
"I looked into this for eight months and was not trying to hurt anyone," Sherrard said. "I was trying to find some trucking jobs for the independent truckers who do not work much during the winter months."
According to Sherrard, the salt pile provides jobs for six employees to the railyard and another 30 to 50 for truckers.
He said last year there was a shortage of road salt in the state and many counties and municipalities purchased it from the stock pile. The salt pile serves 12 counties including Randolph, Webster, Upshur, Lewis, Gilmer, Harrison, Barbour, Grant, Pendleton and Pocahontas.
"At any time if a county runs out of salt we can truck it to them," Sherrard said. "Last year we had 35,000 tons and we ran out. It saves the state money by not having to truck it in and keeps the roads safe."
Huffman said it was legitimate for Barnes to ask questions if he felt something was wrong.
"Sen. Barnes has an obligation to look into complaints and concerns that have been brought to his attention and I will always work with him and other elected officials to ensure that they have a sense of comfort that things are the way they should be," Huffman said. "I have not personally spoken with him about this yet, but I am sure I will. I will assure Senator Barnes that things are being held appropriately."
J.F. Allen President Gregory S. Hadjis said the issue is a misunderstanding.
"I welcome him (Barnes) to pick up the phone and call us and we would be happy to address any of his concerns, tour the facility and show him the practices that we put in place in concert with the DEP," Hadjis said.
