Public Service Commission Chairman Lane’s column: Sewer line settlement involves Mount Olive Complex

PRESS RELEASE

We have hope at the Public Service Commission that we will soon see some relief for a major environmental sore that has involved the state’s maximum-security prison.

Mount Olive Correctional Complex is served by a sewer system which lost two miles of sewer infrastructure in flooding that affected Cannelton Hollow in Fayette County. These lines are owned and operated by Kanawha Falls Public Service District.

Residents report noxious odors from the stream, and they have health and environmental concerns.

This matter has involved more than one filing over years concerning the operations of the public service district. Our legal staff contended that the district’s services were so inadequate and its management so grossly ineffective that we should appoint a receiver to run the PSD.

Without going into the full history of this and related cases, it is sufficient to say that in September we agreed that West Virginia-American Water Company could acquire the system’s assets.

The decision came after we received a joint request from West Virginia-American and the Fayette County Commission to allow the move after the district was dissolved by the county commission. To this, we agreed.

But a specific stipulation we made in agreeing was that the water company would begin immediately to plan and design a project intended to address issues experienced by Kanawha Falls’ customers in Cannelton Hollow and along the creek.

We want this work done promptly so investment and construction can commence as soon as possible after the closing of this signed agreement. We want the construction work to be completed in a timely manner.

Two other systems are also involved in this settlement that was filed with and agreed to by us.

We believe this agreement we approved is going to be good for all the customers of these three systems and for the overall health of people served by them and those in the prison.