Summerlee — Across the smoothly graded earth, microscopic forces are working a natural kind of miracle — cleaning up Wolf Creek’s dangerously contaminated mine water. At this Summerlee abandoned mine, The Plateau Action Network (PAN) is set to complete the first phase of treating acid mine drainage using all-natural processes rather than chemicals.

This technique of taking advantage of natural processes, called bioremediation, is the cutting edge for acid mine drainage treatment, according to project manager and Wolf Creek Watershed Coordinator Levi Rose.

“We’re kind of pioneers here, and that’s what’s exciting about it,” said Rose. “This project is relatively new for West Virginia … there’s no blueprint.”

PAN harnessed $173,000 in state and local funds to build the bioremediation site, creating the conditions for microorganisms, fungi, green plants or their enzymes to treat the acidity and iron in the water.

The project focuses on a critical water source. Wolf Creek served as Fayetteville’s primary public water supply and was a trout-stocked stream until 2004, when it was designated an “impaired water” by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection because of high concentrations of iron, aluminum and fecal coliform.

The abandoned Summerlee mine was deemed a culprit in the contamination. Once West Virginia’s deepest mine, it shut down in the late 1970s and stood as a 72-acre mine refuse dump until 1980. As water percolated through the broken slate and coal refuse, a toxic brew of chemicals seeped in, poisoning much of the stream life in Wolf Creek’s headwaters.

Even after the DEP capped the dump with clay, water kept seeping out.

In an effort to restore Wolf Creek to its original quality, PAN gathered funds and information to treat the acid mine drainage. Consultant Tiff Hilton, of Working on Peoples Environmental Concerns (WOPEC), designed a place to attract acid-attacking bacteria.

“It’s utilizing the landscape to promote this,” said Rose. “This project is all about recreating the environment where you create a space for bacteria to grow.”

The work itself involves regrading the bioremediation site’s 1.5 acres to disperse waste across the surface area and creating a 3 percent slope for water to flow.

“We’re creating this environment for water to flow over, and we’re creating the environment for these microorganisms to live,” said Rose.

Rose explained that project simply taps into a naturally provided form of acid mine drainage treatment.

“The great thing about microbes is that they live in the soil. They’re already there,” he said.

In the long term, the project aims to remove Wolf Creek from the impaired waters list for iron and aluminum levels, improve water-quality standards, and restore Wolf Creek to a trout-stocked stream.

Since last October, when the construction began, PAN has already documented a 40 percent drop in iron in the 55-foot area — thanks to the microorganism activity.

 “That’s the beautiful thing about it; nobody did anything,” said Rose. “We’re just trying to do what nature already does really well.”

Rose explained that this passive treatment of acid mine drainage creates a more self-sustaining system than active, chemical-based treatment.

“If you have a passive treatment system that runs by nature and is doing what you want it to do, it’s the best you could have,” said Rose. “Over time, it’s going to reduce operations and maintenance.”

As the project enters its second phase to treat more water, PAN has reached out to local residents to seek their backing.

“It’s been kind of a hard road for them; they’ve kind of dealt with a lot of challenges,” said Rose. “But so far, I’ve gotten their support. They’re behind me.”

One Summerlee neighbor, Bill Fedukovich, actually works as contractor for the project.

“To be that close to it and to see a difference in my own backyard is a great sense, a sense of accomplishment … and doing something good for my water and my neighbor’s water,” said Fedukovich.

To document the results of the bioremediation, PAN has partnered with Penn State professor Bill Burgos, who has six years of experience studying passive treatment methods.

“What we’ve been trying to do is come up with some kind of design…that all watershed groups, regulatory agents and consultants can use,” said Burgos.

Rose explained that innovative methods can require more time to gain widespread acceptance.

“Getting Penn State on board to do research was really important to show the impact,” he said.

“Change is a hard one, especially in state and federal government. Change is usually much slower. That’s why we chose to go our own path here, to look at research and hard science and make our own decisions.”

Still, project consultant Tiff Hilton said he believes bioremediation is poised to grow more popular.

“Things are probably going to expand in the future,” said Hilton. “The coal industry in the past has never been in the situation to actually do the research and follow through…and I do think we’re finally in the situation to do that.

For more information about the Summerlee bioremediation and other PAN projects, visit  www.plateauactionnetwork.org or call Laurel Ackison at Plateau Action Network at 304-574-4726.