BOB URAM COMMENTS

	Director Bob Uram comments on the Clean Streams Program

Following a unique experience at the May 6, 1995, West Virginia Cheat River Fest, Office of Surface Mining Director Bob Uram wrote the following comments

"The goal of the Appalachian Clean Streams Initiative is to provide leadership and to facilitate the efforts of states, local governments, industry and citizens to clean up streams polluted by acid mine drainage from abandoned coal mines. We are not trying to decide what projects to pursue. Instead we hope to rely on the people in affected communities to let us know what streams are of concern to them and to build on their support. We are trying to help them make progress faster and more efficiently. They are the customers and we are providing a service they want and need.

The Cheat River is one of the finest whitewater rafting, and kayaking rivers in the Eastern United States. The watershed has been mined for nearly 100 years. While the mining helped build our country and defend our freedom during World War I and II, the legacy of this mining is that the watershed is polluted from acid mine drainage. Rocks are frequently stained orange from iron, the stream is lifeless and during low flow periods water quality can be very poor. The acid mine drainage detracts from the otherwise wonderful experience of being on the Cheat and hurts the economic vitality of the area.

Until now, nothing has been done to restore the Cheat to its true grandeur. Things will be changing. Over this past weekend, I was fortunate to have been a part of the First Annual Cheat River Festival sponsored by Friends of the Cheat and the West Virginia Rivers Association. The Friends of the Cheat is a new organization devoted to cleaning up the Cheat. Hundreds of people showed up to enjoy the Cheat and to express their support for cleaning it up. It is the kind of organization the Appalachian Clean Streams Initiative was intended to support.

Dave Bassage, the founder of the Friends of the Cheat guided me down the Cheat. It is a wonderful river; it should be filled with life. The Friends of the Cheat want results. We want results. The State of West Virginia is concerned. We are concerned. We have named the Muddy Creek tributary of the Cheat as an Appalachian Clean Streams Initiative project. We will work with Governor Caperton's Stream Restoration Committee and all concerned with the Cheat. We will do what we can and we will stick with the effort until we have results.

Special recognition is due to Anker Energy which has pledged over $200,000 to clean up Green's Run, a tributary to the Cheat downstream from Muddy Creek.

There are limits to what each of us can do alone. There is no limit to what we can do if we work together."

May 10, 1995
Washington, D.C.

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