In case any Coal Tattoo readers missed it, Randy Huffman, secretary of West Virginia’s Department of Environmental Protection, responded this weekend to a previous op-ed piece in the Gazette that had urging funding for the AML cleanup of Deckers Creek in Morgantown.

In short, Randy’s response was: No way, at least not right now …

The Richard Mine project is on a scale that demands more study and consideration before committing significant additional funds. We have worked with Friends of Deckers Creek and the Natural Resources Conservation Service on this project, as well as many others in the watershed. We will continue to work on the affordable and viable treatment projects in the upper areas of the watershed that are close to being restored because of the effort of many people working together.