BY ANNIE HOLLER
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
DELBARTON-RAGLAND, W.Va. — When water in a Mingo County stream turned the color of “tomato soup,” residents did not wait for answers. They started asking their own questions, collecting samples and demanding to know what is flowing through their creek.
Residents in the Ragland and Delbarton area began reporting a bright orange discoloration of the water in Pigeon Creek on April 28, questioning its origin and point of entry. Mingo County Emergency Management issued a statement saying the issue stemmed from material from an abandoned mine land area that accumulated on property owned by Norfolk Southern Railroad and entered the waterway after railroad work disturbed the sediment.
Emergency Management echoed the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s statement that the material was primarily “iron-related” deposits and was likely mobilized by routine maintenance on the railroad tracks, ditches and culverts, causing it to enter the stream.
“Norfolk Southern has reported that they have taken multiple steps to mitigate runoff, including the use of straw bales, absorbent booms, silt fencing, and a vacuum truck to remove and control sediment-laden water. Despite these efforts, some discolored water has entered the nearby creek,” the agency said.
According to Emergency Management, the West Virginia DEP and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources were conducting biological and stream assessments in the area. Initial reports were that no dead fish had been found. However, residents said they spoke with a DNR officer from Elkins who traveled to Mingo County, not having been dispatched there, but after seeing news reports, and that the officers said they found dead fish.
“I spoke with the DNR officers who were on scene, and I made an audio recording of our conversation,” William Shrader of Ragland said. “You can clearly hear them say they traveled here from Elkins and confirmed with me that they, in fact, did find dead fish in the creek.”
Shrader has teamed up with several other concerned citizens who are conducting their own investigation and water sampling.
“I am questioning the safety of our water,” said Shrader. “This is not just an inconvenience; it’s a serious health concern. In the year 2026, the last thing any U.S. citizen should have to be concerned about is whether or not the water we drink is safe and worry about what the long-term effects of consuming these chemicals may mean to our families.”
There are two subsidiaries of the main portion of Pigeon Creek, with the one in question coming from the head of Ragland and entering the main creek in the Town of Delbarton. Pigeon Creek continues to run alongside Rt. 65 and enters the Tug Fork River in the Naugatuck area, upstream from raw water intakes for both the Town of Kermit and the Martin County Water District.
According to residents, what many refer to as a “rusty waterfall” that flows off the mountain and enters the water has existed for the last “60 to 70 years.” Shrader said that may be the case and that it should have been remediated years ago, rather than being left to constantly flow and deposit mine runoff into the ground and the creek.
“The fact that this is a long-term issue tells me that our residents have been brainwashed to believe this was normal, that there was no reason to be concerned,” he said. “They simply got so accustomed to seeing the waterfall that they no longer gave it a second thought or questioned what chemicals may be in the rusty, orange water and what damage it was doing. The contamination of our land and water was hiding in plain sight, right in front of our faces, and no one questioned why.”
Shrader said the West Virginia Rivers Coalition provided professional-grade testing supplies to his group to collect samples from several locations, including an abandoned mine that has not been in operation for many decades.
“We were told there were no mines in this area, but they couldn’t be more wrong,” said Shrader. “We traveled to the location and gathered information and photos to prove its existence. It simply predated when the locations had to be identified and mapped with the department and no one ever bothered to correct the oversight.”
According to Shrader, the testing from the stream showed “very high” total dissolved solids (900-1000+) along with levels of lead, hydrogen sulfide and fluoride exceeding Safe Drinking Water standards. He added that the water was highly conductive.
“More metals are expected to be found,” he said. “Full testing takes 2-3 weeks … The samples have been sent to a second lab for an analysis that will provide the exact numbers, since the first lab’s testing was limited.”
Tara “Baby T” Sexton, who has been an advocate and community liaison for residents following the spring flood in 2025, has worked alongside Shrader and other volunteers to gather samples and communicate with residents about their concerns about unsafe water.
“I’m far from being a water expert, nor do I claim to be, but I show up and stand up for my fellow Mingo Countians,” Sexton said. “We deserve truthful answers, whether they are good or bad. Full transparency is the only thing we will accept in this matter, nothing more, nothing less. We are sick and tired of the lies.”
Sexton continued, broadening her remarks from transparency to what she described as long-standing neglect of Mingo County residents.
“We are so done with getting the brush off when we demand answers. For far too long, Mingo County has borne a significant share of the State of West Virginia’s needs, funded by the profits from coal mining and the taxes they generated. Now that the majority of the mines have closed, we have been pushed to the back burner and are barely more than an afterthought. We matter. Our health and safety are just as important as those living in big cities. But as long as we tolerate their behavior and are content to accept the crumbs that fall from their tables, nothing will ever change.”
The newspaper’s attempts to reach officials at the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the Division of Natural Resources were unsuccessful.
This is a developing story.