MINDEN, WV (WOAY)- Darrell Thomas has lived in Minden his entire life and describes it as beautiful. Still, on June 14th, four inches of rain fell on Oak Hill, and the downpour brought floodwater and sewer debris into Minden’s resident’s front yards and homes.
The debris is the least of Thomas’s worries. Residents are more concerned about PCB’s that leaked out of abandoned mines in the area that contaminated the sewer system.
“Just across the road, I’ve had three friends that died of cancer. There is a man down here. He got a rare blood disorder. The man right there he died of cancer. Two and a half houses down the road, they died of cancer,” Thomas said.
After decades of multiple cancer-related deaths in Minden, Attorney Stephen New plans on filing an injunction against the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP).
“Why, given the amount of money that has been spent on wastewater and sewer in that area, Minden always seems to flood,” Attorney Stephen New said.
According to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the debris is being moved to Empire Waste in Carlisle. Stephen New plans to file an injunction against the transport so that the debris can be moved to a wasteland at a safer location so that another part of Fayette County will not be contaminated.
“It’s a toxic area. The soil there is contaminated, the water there is contaminated, and for the amount of money 22 million dollars and some change spent with Thrasher Engineering and others those people should’ve been located out of Minden,” said New.
“I’ve asked The politicians to literally come down here and walk with me so I could show them and they looked me in my face and told me that there’s not a problem. I haven’t had any takers yet,” said Thomas.
Thomas says Minden has been his home for 61 years, and he doesn’t plan on leaving but wants to help his friends and family.
“The main goal is to get the people out that wants to get out. That’s my goal to get them out,” said Thomas.
This is an ongoing lawsuit, stay with WOAY for further updates.
