CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) is helping to contain a reported spill of expanding firefighter foam in the Tupper Creek area near Sissonville.
According to a WVDEP release, the foam was being used to put out an underground mine fire at an abandoned site near Blue Creek Friday evening, when the workshop of the foam’s contractor, located near Sissonville, reported a spill Friday night or Saturday morning.
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The foam, which can cause skin and eye irritation on contact, has since been found in parts of Wolfpen Branch, Tupper Creek and the Pocatalico River, but the release said that there appears to have been no observed impacts to local aquatic life.
The release also said “significant concentrations of the material are not expected to migrate downstream,” but potential downstream water intakes have been notified and emergency personnel are continuing to monitor the situation.
In the meantime, staff from the WVDEP’s Homeland Security Emergency Response unit and Environmental Enforcement section are working alongside the contractor and the foam’s manufacturer to locate and cleanup all of the spilled foam.