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BOWDEN - The owner of a popular local camping spot says two "acts of terrorism" recently occurred on his property, and he is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Revelle's River Resort owner Shawn Bennett wants the public to be aware of the vandalism that occurred at his property along the Shaver's Fork River.
Bennett, who has owned the resort for the past nine years, said he is worried that whoever is involved with trying to sabotage both the sewer system and water distribution unit at Revelle's will attempt to do the same at other locations around the area.
"Nobody knows about what has happened here at Revelle's. I's not been put out there to the public at all," Bennett told The Inter-Mountain this week. "It concerns me, because if someone is willing to do what they did to my small public water system, what would stop them from doing it somewhere else?"
Bennett said the vandalism started in August when someone tampered with the sewer treatment plant at the resort.
"They put some kind of poison in the plant, which we have yet to identify what it was," Bennett said. "They put some kind of a pellet in there, but they also sprayed something in the plant. The Randolph County Sheriff's Department took a sample that we scooped up."
Bennett said he is still waiting on test results from a sample that the Randolph County Sheriff's Office sent to the West Virginia State Police Crime Lab.
Although there was no physical damage caused by the vandalism, the repercussions could have been devastating, he said.
"Our biggest concern is that once it goes through that plant, whatever was in there goes straight out to the river," said Bennett. "That ends up in Shaver's Fork river and it could have seriously done some damage to it. And it might still be doing damage, we just don't know at this time.
"There is a major trout stream right here that runs through the valley, and if any of this gets into that trout stream, you're not going to have to worry about trout fishing anymore. Not to mention the (Bowden State Fish) Hatchery is right down the road from us."
The second act of vandalism was discovered on the Friday of Labor Day weekend, when the resort's water supply was tampered with.
"I was walking the park the Friday before people started coming in and noticed that someone had cut a well cap off one of our wells," Bennett said. "There was a five-gallon bucket along with some quart bottles of transmission fluid and motor oil laying right around the well. So that was dumped right down into the well casing."
Bennett said the resort has a public water system that is governed by the state of West Virginia.
"Our water system is monitored by the state and I have to adhere to all the things they want me to test for and everything like that," he said. "That is the water that supplies this campground. I don't know if the person who did this got spooked and took off and left the bottles there, or if they deliberately left it there to be found.
"Had that water made it into the distribution system, it could have killed some people, it could have made a lot of people really sick," he said. "If someone has a problem with me that's fine, don't take it out on innocent people and children. I mean this could have really been bad if it would not have been found. I can't reiterate that enough."
Bennett added that, because the water system is governed by federal law, the vandalism is punishable by up to a 20-year prison sentence and a $1 million fine.
"The State Police came out and investigated the water supply vandalism," Bennett said. "They dusted the well casing for fingerprints and took all of the bottles and the bucket to process them for evidence. They are also investigating it."
A sock filled with blue tablets was also recovered in the well. The contents of the sock are also being tested by the WVSP.
Bennett said he is unsure why someone would take such extreme measures to put the resort and its guests in danger, but feels that whoever is responsible is from the immediate area.
"We have had some issues in the past with some local people," he said. "I don't know if they are jealous of the camp group, they don't like seeing it doing well, or don't like the people coming here," he said. "I don't really know why, but this is deemed an act of terrorism. It falls under Homeland Security. Any time you mess with a public water system, it is an act of terrorism."
Bennett is offering a $5,000 reward for anyone who comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person involved in the vandalism.
"I really hope if someone has any information on this, they will come forward with it," he said. "This is a very deliberate act that could have not only sent a lot of people to the hospital and sickened a lot of people, but it could have killed some people. That's how serious this is and if they are willing to do it to us, what is stopping them from doing it somewhere else."