Published opinion, Am. More than a dozen towns were inundated and 125 people lost their lives. In 2005, the ecosystem took another hit when water blew out of an abandoned coal mine, turning the creek green. ), 400 Still Missing in West Virginia Flood, February 28, 1972. It just broke your heart to see firsthand the devastation that water could do, he would tell a Herald Dispatch reporter. William Rhee, Associate Professor of Law, West Virginia University, The Buffalo Creek Timeline, WVU.edu, updated on December 30, 2015. its motion to dismiss. George Vecsey, West Virginia Flood Toll At 60 With Hundreds Lost, New York Times, February 28, 1972. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; According to Young, Appalachia is a region discarded as an expendable population. But exploring how these negative stereotypes promote such attitudes can sharpen our understanding and ability to fight the treatment of all current and future oppressed groups.. Davis managed to rescue two of his sons, and his neighbors helped pull his 17-year-old daughter from the waters two miles down the hollow. In just a few brief moments, 125 people were killed, 1,100 were injured, and over 4,000 were left without homes [1] as the result of a collapsed coal waste dam. Sources: The Herald Dispatch, newspaper of Huntington, WV, Thomas Marsh, and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. This failure, predicted by inspector results, caused a domino effect by causing the failure of two other dams. The first was an ad hoc commission established by West Virginia Governor Arch Moore. 45, No. Buffalo Creek disaster remembered 40 years later The Associated Press The Associated Press Feb 27, 2012 The Tri-State's TRUSTED news source. Three coal waste dams in West Virginia failed, killing 125 people and injuring 1,100 more in communities downstream of the dams. You build them up with a bunch of political propaganda.., he said, also suggesting that the coal operators money installed the politicians in Washington, and then, you dont care nothing about us., Not long after the dams had burst, and the flood waters had raged through the Buffalo Creek communities, Pittstons New York public relations office, attempting to absolve the company from legal responsibility, issued a news release stating that the flood was an act of God. The dam, said the Pittston officials, was simply incapable of holding the water God poured into it.. The Buffalo Creek (W.Va.) flood is one of the most extensively examined and longest followed disasters in the psychiatric study of trauma. Stern met with plaintiffs and obtained settlement authority. Tom Nugent, Death at Buffalo Creek: The 1972 West Virginia Flood Disaster, New York: Norton, 1973. In the last week of his second term in 1977, Moore accepted a $1 million payment from Pittston Coal Company to settle accounts from the Buffalo Creek Disaster. Death, Destruction, Terror of 1972 Buffalo Creek Disaster Still Vivid, The Herald-Dispatch, January 15, 2009. (AP Photo/John Raby). (ABA Required Disclosures). September 2, 1972West Virginia Ad Hoc Commission of Inquiry into the Buffalo Creek Flood, 1972, Online Exhibit /Special Collections, Marshall University, 2002. 1929). The Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act Of Man, Transcript (undated). #3 in his inspection report. At a protest meeting held in the Buffalo Grade School in Accoville a month after the flood, an older woman stood up and shouted out: Ive lived up at the top of the hollow for a long time. dam will hold. Pittston failed to obtain an independent engineering opinion on the Buffalo The Concept 2 . However, he did question the ability of the overflow pipes in Dam No. April 1, 1974Pittston moved to dismiss absent plaintiffs, plaintiffs claiming Ben A. Franklin, Coal Dam Curbs Urged by Nader, New York Times, March 5, 1972. Actual death toll would be 125, nearly twice early reports. Nader had sent one of his investigators, a young West Virginia lawyer named Davitt McAteer (who years later would head up the U.S. Army personnel, the Red Cross, state and county officials were all on the scene by then as well, trying to feed, clothe and comfort survivors. Middle Fork Buffalo Creek, Saunders, West Virginia, Volume 1, February 1973. "$1, 000, 001 Settlement in Flood Suit," Charleston Gazette, 11-15-1977. At 8 a.m. on Feb. 26, 1972, 130 million gallons of water and coal sludge burst through a dam, poured into Buffalo Creek, and violently surged through 16 . It ripped homes from their foundations, swept up cars, mobile homes, and bridges, and even left twisted rail lines in a few places before it finished its destructive run over 17 miles to the Guyandotte River. Rebecca Bailey's 2008 book, "Matewan: Before The Massacre". 3/4 (SPRING/SUMMER 2009), pp. A wave of nearly 130 million gallons of water and other material (a total volume estimated to be between 300 and 400 acre-feet) roared down the Buffalo Creek valley at a velocity estimated to be 20 feet per second in its initial three miles. But West Virginia newspapers in the area were covering the tragedy closely, as the grim business of accounting for the dead, injured, and homeless continued. Senator). May 1, 1974Discovery deadline. In fact, the company was cited for over 5,000 safety violations at its mines nationally in 1971. Tim Hall, left, explains how the events of the Buffalo Creek Flood shaped his life during a memorial service at the Buffalo Creek Memorial Library on Friday, Feb. 24. [1] For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Buffalo Creek flood. Create a password that only you will remember. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); JSTOR Daily provides context for current events using scholarship found in JSTOR, a digital library of academic journals, books, and other material. The water was there, and then it was gone Edna Baisden And on the morning of February 26, 1972, just after 8:00 am, that worst fear was realized. Buffalo Creek Disaster is not just about heroes but a dramatic tale that involves the loss of lives and property and the legal war containing a litigation drama that resulted in the payment of the settlement. More than a dozen homes and hundreds of acres in the down-stream community of Harriman, TN were hit with a gigantic toxic mess. and $50 million punitive damages. The number stern settled on was 32.5 million dollars. In reaction to the flood, Hechler said: The people are prisoners of the coal industry., Hechlers quote is included in the media theorist Rita Colistras article in the Journal of Appalachian Studies, which also includes a quote from Ralph Nader. 302-305. 2/3 (152/153) (2018), pp. During the flood, 125 people lost their lives, 1,100 were injured and 4,000 were left homeless. Pierson said the flood had a rather unique impact on him it caused him to conquer his fear of water. And I aint never seen God up there driving no bulldozer dumping slate on that dam. Her remarks won applause from most everyone in the room. The state Legislature had sued Pittston for $100 million. The pool behind Dam No. No criminal charges were brought against the mining executives for their negligence in the creation and operation of the illegal and unstable coal waste dams. Barbara Brunty watched from higher ground with her 3-year-old daughter as their home was swept away along with the girls Christmas presents: a toy motorcycle, a kitchen set and a Chatty Cathy doll. November 7, 1980: Ferrell coal mine disaster. 1977 edition of Gerald Stern's book on class-action lawsuit he brought against Pittston Coal Co. on behalf of Buffalo Creek survivors and settled in 1974. In fact, there is a very sizeable coal waste legacy that will continue to pose dangers for many rural American communities and the nations rivers and streams for decades to come, even as the coal industry as a whole winds down its role in the U.S. and global economies. Sunshine and clouds mixed. there wasnt any flood. F.3d 349 (4th Cir. November 20, 1968: Farmington coal mine disaster Pittston objected to Arnold & Porters more definite statement, asking the In February 1968, Saunders resident Mrs. Pearl Woodrum wrote a letter of complaint to then Governor Hulett Smith saying in effect, the dams were unsafe. Three days later, on February 25, with heavy rain, the water behind dam No. 3 failed at 8 a.m., releasing millions of gallons of water into Dam No. discovery confidential. There was a problem saving your notification. Buffalo Creek Disaster include (Erikson, 1976): Prosecuting the Buffalo Mining Pittston Company in front of a grand jury for their negligence The state suing the company for the damages to roads and brides Various government branches penalizing the company for pollution and unsafe mining practices. United States Senate, Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, Subcommittee on Labor, Buffalo Creek (W. Va.) Disaster 1972, Hearings, May 30 and 31, 1972, 2 vols. May 13, 1974Judge Hall denied motion for partial summary judgment as to personal Ewen and Lewis highlight dozens of statements from Eriksons book that demonstrate, they believe, his reinforcement of stereotypes and his blaming the victim mentality toward the residents of Buffalo Creek. But these werent the only investigations; there were also several others, including: one or more Congressional committees, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines (W. A. Wahler & Associates), Analysis of Coal Refuse Dam Failure. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. According to one assessment at the time: These impromptu structures were hardly dams in any technical sense They were simply piles of coal waste, clay, shale, red dog, and other by-products of the coal preparation process, dumped off the back of trucks and bulldozed to an even height. The tragedy resulted in a $13.5 million class action settlement, and led to the 1973 Dam . March 5, 1972. In 1854, he married Margaretha Weidner (1832-1910). Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Instead, the builders end-dumped and shoved loosely compacted layers of coarse refuse across the valley. 1912The C&O Railroad build the first spur line by Buffalo Creek. Depta writes: Theyre bringing in trailers so the next time theres a I was so scared. The news of the Buffalo Creek Disaster broke variously across the nation the next few days, in part due to the difficulty of getting to the site. March 1972Arnold & Porter agreed to represent the Buffalo Creek Citizens Senators and experts gather around scale model of Buffalo Creek area in Senate hearing room showing valley below and three coal waste impoundments (#s 8, 5, & 4) that burst causing catastrophic flood on February 26, 1972. SOUTH MAN Sunday marked 51 years since the Buffalo Creek Disaster, the worst flood in West Virginia's history. flagrant disregard for the safety of residents of Buffalo Creek and other persons The Buffalo Creek Disaster: How the Survivors of One of the Worst Disasters in Coal-Mining History Brought Suit Against the Coal Company- And Won. The legal teams on both sides also are discussing a settlement. C.J. 281-298, Appalachian Journal, Vol. Buffalo Creek, whose habitat was destroyed along a 17-mile (27-kilometer) stretch, is teeming with trout again, after a steady, coordinated effort by Harvey and others to get back what they once had and share it with future generations. 1,121 individuals were injured over 4,000 of Buffalo Creeks approximately 5,000 residents were immediately rendered homeless. The gathering has become somewhat of a tradition held every year minus last year at the library by retired director Liz Tackett. Left over from Scots-Irish immigrants? Stern asked Judge Hall to help him get access to the West Virginia Ad Hoc Commission 2 gave way, quickly followed by Dam No. Ralph Nader letter to Congressional committees raises dangers of coal dams. By June 1970, Pittston had acquired the Buffalo Mining Company. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. In addition, coal wastes have also been dumped into abandoned deep mines and used to reclaim strip mines. a federal safety standard prohibiting refuse piles from impeding drainage or impounding Click for copy. Justice v. Pittston class action by now-Judge Phillip Gaujot on behalf of 348 children Mine Safety and Health Administration) to the Buffalo Creek area a few days after the disaster. Erin L. McCoy, The U.S. Has Nearly 600 Coal Waste Sites. The Buffalo Creek Disaster was one of the costliest preventable tragedies in the history of . In the early morning hours of Saturday, February 26th, 1972, after three days of rain, a series of coal slurry impoundments in the upper reaches of the Buffalo Creek watershed in Logan County, West Virginia, were beginning to weaken. It wasnt long after the flood that lawsuits were brought against Pittston Coal, the company responsible for the slurry dams. I was terrified of water because I lived through it as a kid and I was just traumatized, but I tell you what, after that dam broke and I seen what I seen, I never was afraid of water again. But this dam dam No. Depta recalls the trailers brought in by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to set up temporary living for the newly homeless. Tom Price, Who Killed Buffalo Creek?, Rolling Stone, January 3, 1974. Clearly and simply, said the report, people living downstream from the Buffalo Mining Companys coal refuse dam at Saunders were the victims of gross negligence.. The Buffalo Creek Disaster Memorial, located in Kistler, WV, stands as a reminder of one of the darkest hours in West Virginia history. Alvid Davis was working outside his home in the community of Stowe when he looked up and saw the flood waters coming, according to an Associated Press report of February 28, 1972. . BMCs vice Engineering, Not Rainfall, Given Blame, Logan Banner, March 9, 1972. U.S. map showing locations of coal ash waste dams, spills, and contamination compiled by Earth Justice. That film was selected for the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2005. Moore shared stories of two young children Darla Dillon, 5, and David Adkins Jr., 4, both of Lorado who perished in the flood. Many homes were lost during the Buffalo Creek mining disaster in 1972. Join our new membership program on Patreon today. In addition to the deaths, the disaster injured 1,100 and left more than 4,000 people homeless. The law appears ill-suited to relieve the victims of a disaster, who often have been scarred emotionally not by physical contact but by the destruction of their families, homes, and communities, writes Robert L. Rabin in a 1978 Stanford Law Review article examining the legal ramifications of Buffalo Creek. April 16, 1973Plaintiffs moved to amend their complaint to add additional Coal Co. v. De Wese, 30 WV. Jack Doyle, Date Posted: 31 January 2019 Feb 28, 1972, The Logan Banner of Logan, WV reports on the search for victims, relief effort, and first-hand accounts. It would go this way on this side of the hill and take a house out; take one house out of all the rows, and then go back the other way. From chaos to responsibility The litigation initiated by the 625 survivors of the Buffalo Creek flood who refused to settle with the coal company claims office was a landmark case. Nearly 50 years later, there are still hundreds of coal waste dams to worry about, as well as other assorted coal waste dangers throughout the U.S. The spill covered the surrounding land with up to six feet of sludge. Stern describes victims losing family members before their eyes, and the devastation caused by the flood. Less than a year later, in February 1971, Dam No. On Feb. 26, 1972, at approximately 8 a.m., a coal slurry impoundment dam owned by Pittston Coal Company burst . We have had a couple of conversations since he moved in and that is how I found out he was from Logan, more specifically, Man, West Virginia. The Buffalo Creek Disaster February 26, 1972, LoganWV.US (website), History and Nostalgia/ Preserving Logan County History. After last year, Pierson, who now lives in Scott Depot, made the drive home to Logan County once again to reminisce with other survivors. Privacy Policy Contact Us 3 above its impounded sediment. In the U.S. Congress at the time, federal legislation was being considered to regulate strip mining, and the Buffalo Creek disaster figured into the debate. right below the dam. February 28, 1972. 4, Special Focus: Special issue on Post Disaster Societies (2011), pp. I want to fish nowhere else., A memorial to the victims of the Buffalo Creek coal impoundment disaster is shown Feb. 22, 2022, in Kistler, W.Va. On Feb. 26, 1972, a makeshift impoundment dam collapsed, sending millions of gallons of black water, coal and debris into the hollow below, killing 125 people, injuring 1,100 and leaving more than 4,000 homeless. In 1977, Gov. 3) was built over Dam No. SOUTH MAN Sunday marked 51 years since the Buffalo Creek Disaster, the worst flood in West Virginias history. The Buffalo Creek Disaster. A few weeks later, on February 22nd, a federal mine inspector and the company safety engineer observed the dams and found conditions satisfactory. Paul Cowan, Book Review of Gerald Sterns The Buffalo Creek Disaster: The Story of the Survivors Unprecedented Lawsuit, The New York Times Book Review, September 5, 1976, pp.6-7. Disaster at Buffalo Creek. and damage claims. 2's slurry pool. Richard Martin's 2015 book, "Coal Wars". Many in the downstream communities were keenly aware of the unstable nature of these impoundments, and expressed their concern to government officials. In fact, there had already been signs of trouble at the dams, which should have raised alarms and efforts at corrective construction. Refuse Dumps at Coal Mines, discouraging the use of coal refuse dumps as dams. two telephone books worth of victim statements. Home; These cracks were a clear indication of the saturation and subsequent destabilization of the structure, but no evacuation order was issued. Pittston Porterfield described a makeshift morgue set up at the local junior high school, likening it to the famous scene from Gone with the Wind in which Scarlett OHara stands astonished looking upon a sea of battlefield casualties. It would just go from one hillside to the other. and highway, demolished seven houses, killed six people, and injured four. EPA had initially estimated the spill would take four-to-six weeks to clean up, however, three years later they were still cleaning up. When the deluge receded, he saw bodies along the long walk to check on relatives, images that have been seared into the veterans mind. March 21, 1972Pittstons board of directors authorizedBMCto establish Not long thereafter, the dam gave way, creating the horror that unfolded for the Buffalo Creek communities downstream. 16, Nos. Earl Lambert, From The Mountainsides: Many Saw It Happen, Logan Banner (Logan, WV), February 28, 1972. Theres also the risk of environmental damage from coal ash, the toxic wastewater left over from burning coal at power plants. The survivors were not allowed to address the meeting. U.S. This work revealed the inadequacies that existed at that time in the safety of many of the dams constructed by the coal mining industry. By March 2, Republican Governor Arch Moore announced the formation of an Ad Hoc Commission of Inquiry to investigate the flood. As a way to remember and memorialize the devastating flood, a small gathering of survivors congregated at the Buffalo Creek Memorial Library at South Man Friday afternoon. Jamie Goodman/Brian Sewell, Remembering Buffalo Creek, The Appalachian Voice, February 21, 2012. Eriksons book was a finalist for the National Book Award the year of its release. Mimi Pickering (Film Director), Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man (essay), Library of Congress, 1978 (in 1984, filmmaker Mimi Pickering completed Buffalo Creek Revisited, an update on the flood and its consequences). An airplane crashes. Young ranks the spill as but one more state crime in a long list of state crimes, a list on which Buffalo Creek is also included. A close look at Buffalo Creek illuminates the regions ties to coal. For additional stories at this website on the history of coal and coal mining, see for example, the following: Thanks for visiting and if you like what you find here, please. Harveys home was spared, barely. For the first time, individuals who were not present at the scene of a disaster were allowed to recover for mental injuries. JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. State of West Virginia sued Pittston in both state and federal court for the states Gertie Moore, a former Logan County Schools bus driver, tearfully recalls two children who perished in the Buffalo Creek Flood during a memorial service at the Buffalo Creek Memorial Library on Friday, Feb. 24. Stern meets with Pittstons counsel concerning settlement. Stephen Young, a Marshall University professor and criminologist, recently wrote an article focused on the 2014 Elk River chemical spill, which left 300,000 West Virginians without clean water. July 5, 1973Judge Hall granted plaintiffs motion to amend their complaint. Most of Buffalo Creek was previously owned by the Popp family, who ran a dairy farm before converting to grain crops such as soybeans, wheat and corn. K.T. In the blink of an eye, people's lives completely changed; lives were lost, houses were gone and families were destroyed. The Buffalo Creek Flood and Disaster: Official Report from the Governor's Ad Hoc Commission of Inquiry. He spoke with residents, including a woman who said she lost eighteen relatives in the flood. The historic Buffalo Creek flood tore through a region often exploited by industryand stereotyped by outsiders. In 1960, Buffalo Mining had constructed its first gob dam, or impoundment, near the mouth of Middle Fork in 1960. Buffalo Creek Disaster; however, I have concentrated on the parts of the book that offered me the most insight in terms of procedural strategy. The site is secure. And for the survivors of the Buffalo Creek Disaster, there was little real recovery. 1 & 2. Its worth noting that, following Buffalo Creek, two commissions were launched. Still, the worries for citizens living near either kind of impoundment are equally valid, whether of the mine-site or powerplant variety. Subsequent Betty Dotson-Lewis / Brian Sewell, The Day Baby Brucie Died: An Oral History of the Buffalo Creek Flood, The Appalachian Voice, February 27, 2012. [I]f you dont do some-thing, were all going to be washed away., By June 1970, Pittston had acquired the Buffalo Mining Company. Murder in Appalachian, The Nation, March 20, 1972. gave way, killing eight people. One of the country's worst mining-related disasters occurred February 26, 1972, on Buffalo Creek in Logan County. Coal disaster 50 years later: WVa creek teeming with fish By JOHN RABY The Associated Press, Updated February 26, 2022, 12:47 p.m. Jacob Turkale held a rainbow trout he caught Tuesday along. 1:30 a.m., dam #3s water was only one foot below the dams crest. He argues that stereotypesparticularly the white trash stereotypes depicting Appalachians as lazy, ignorant, and hopelessallow for the continued exploitation of Appalachia by industry. I just got done buying a Geiger counter and rebuilding it for someone because everybodys getting afraid of Russia right now.. settled a lawsuit over this breakdown. Comments to: jdoyle@pophistorydig.com. Rescue operations were slowed because roads, bridges and railroad lines were destroyed or blocked. (2) Stern, G.M. In a 2012 interview, Porterfield said: [I]t looked like a battlefield. The first coal mining in the Buffalo Creek watershed dated to the 1910s when a few coal camps small mining towns sprang up following the first rail lines into the area to exploit the coal there. When the water set it down again, it just flattened out on the ground. They just had this blank stare of resignation One of my co-workers said people in those coal communities are used to being battered by this and that. And by 1968, the company was dumping more gob at a third location, another 600 feet upstream. The U.S. As of December 2014, some 331 of these facilities were rated as either holding a high or significant safety hazard meaning likely loss of life in the former case, and significant economic/environmental damage in the latter case. process loss claims without admitting any responsibility. 242-246, Appalachian Journal, Vol. Today is the 40th anniversary of the dam bursting which was owned by Pittston Coal Company. The tautly-worded 31-page report offered detailed findings and evidence of corporate negligence and government failures in the disaster, and proposed 21 recommendations. LOGAN COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - It is a day to remember for Logan County. A wall of water and coal waste 30 feet high and 550 feet across burst from the impoundment, and rushed more than 15 miles down the hollow, toward the confluence of Buffalo Creek and the. Congressman Ken Hechler (D-WV)), who also came to the area on Sunday, February 27th, told reporters that the U.S. Bureau of Mines and state agencies had failed to demonstrate sufficient concern for the protection of the safety of the people who work in the mines and live in the mining communities. Hechler also pointed to what he believed was a contributing cause of the flooding: As I looked through Buffalo Creek valley yesterday, it struck me again that the entire valley is honeycombed with strip mines and the waste from deep mines so that the soil can no longer hold the [rain] water. Hechler also slammed the coal industrys power in the area, saying, the people are prisoners of the coal industry And with some irony, he added, the only building left intact in one Buffalo community was the company store., On Monday, February 28th, U.S. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Mannix Porterfield, a reporter who covered the events of that tragic day, later recalled the destruction left in the floods wake. I wouldve took a gunshot or anything. He also concluded that Pittstons Buffalo Creek Mining Co. could not be charged with negligent homicide because there was no way to put a corporation in jail.. He said his family washed off and cooked chickens that were killed in the aftermath of the flood. to let the plaintiffs see Pittstons insurance documents and refused to keep The loss of more than 100 people in the Buffalo Creek disaster half a century ago . JSTOR, the JSTOR logo, and ITHAKA are registered trademarks of ITHAKA. The Pittston Company: Company Profile & History, ReferenceForBusiness.com. Both the Governors Commission and the Citizens Commission set about their investigations, and each group began holding public hearings and collecting information regarding the disaster. When that report came out it called for new legislation and further inquiry by the local prosecutor, also concluding: Norm Williams, Deputy Director, WV-DNR & Citizens' Commission chairman. They lost loved ones, their homes, their neighbors, their community. Scholarship on the disaster also helps us get to know the peoplethe victims, the survivorsinvolved. When the water set it down again, it just flattened out on the ground. MayA group of Buffalo Creek disaster survivors traveled to Pittstons The Buffalo Creek flood was a disaster that occurred in Logan County, West Virginia on February 26, 1972 when a coal slurry impoundment dam burst, causing significant loss of life and property damage. The couple had nine children. Afterward, the survivors informally sit and talk about their memories from the flood and how it affected their lives. But his youngest son and daughter and his wife were among the missing. First Lieut. Approximately 550 homes were destroyed, and another 900-plus . The association will hold its annual kids fishing event in April, giving away 125 rods and reels and other fishing gear. 1. The Buffalo Creek Disaster: An Effective Supplement to a Conventional Civil Procedure Course Lawrence M. Grosberg Gerald Stern's The Buffalo Creek Disaster 1 and the lawsuit which is the subject of his book provide an excellent vehicle to complement a conven-tionally taught civil procedure course. They pointed to a 1966 U.S. Geological Survey report of 1966 that had found 60 such coal mine waste piles in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, and that little had been done to correct or eliminate those hazards and additional ones since that report was made. Modern Marvels: The Buffalo Creek Disaster (History Channel production), YouTube.com (9:27). Yet, as all who lived in those parts knew well, this was a coal disaster, not an act of God, as the coal company would later claim. Spadaro also wrote the bulk of the states report debunking Pittstons claim that the disaster was an act of God. An investigation found the company built the dam on top of coal slurry that had been deposited by an earlier dam, then more material went on top of that. The pool was within three feet of the crest of the dam, and ominous cracks appeared. Out of the total settlement, Arnold and Porter took a legal fee of $3 million. The coal Mining industry 16, 1973Plaintiffs moved to amend their complaint to add additional coal v.! Impoundment are equally valid, whether of the unstable nature of these impoundments, and injured four coal burst! Tradition held every year minus last year at the library of Congress National film Registry in 2005, Appalachian..., New York: Norton, 1973 125, nearly twice early reports cited for over 5,000 safety at... Division of Culture and History 125 people lost their lives, 1,100 were and! And students and efforts at corrective construction reels and other fishing gear expressed! Company responsible for the survivors were not allowed to address the meeting Marsh and... They were Still cleaning up powerplant variety, Pittston had acquired the Buffalo Company. Injured over 4,000 of Buffalo Creeks approximately 5,000 residents were immediately rendered homeless February 1973 is one of dams... How it affected their lives sources: the Herald Dispatch, newspaper of Huntington, WV ), and... Including a woman who said she lost eighteen relatives in the flood question the of... Across the valley a Disaster were allowed to recover for mental injuries line by Buffalo Creek two., 1973 sources: the Herald Dispatch reporter resulted in a $ 13.5 million class settlement... Living near either kind of impoundment are equally valid, whether of the flood and., nearly twice early reports gob dam, and another 900-plus the downstream were! Kids fishing event in april, giving away 125 rods and reels and other fishing gear tom,! Trailers so the next time theres a I was so scared days later, in 1971! Wars '' 1854, he would tell a Herald Dispatch, newspaper of Huntington, WV ), pp &..., 1,100 were injured and 4,000 were left homeless, nearly twice early reports it is a day remember!, 125 people lost their lives, 1,100 were injured over 4,000 of Buffalo Creeks 5,000. Creek?, Rolling Stone, January 3, 1974 community of Harriman, TN were hit with a toxic! W.Va. ) flood is one of the flood settled on was 32.5 million dollars three waste. To recover for mental injuries Mining buffalo creek disaster settlement the scene of a tradition held every year minus last year the! And talk about their memories from the flood Theyre bringing in trailers so the next time theres a was! Which was owned by Pittston coal Company burst additional coal Co. v. De Wese, WV., January 15, 2009 costliest preventable tragedies in the Disaster injured 1,100 and left more a! Behind dam No National film Registry in 2005, the worst flood in West Virginias History, 1973 also... Norton, 1973 ) - it is a day to remember for Logan County, W.Va. ( WSAZ -. Disaster injured 1,100 and left more than a dozen towns were inundated and 125 people lost their lives Virginia Disaster! Huntington, WV ), pp January 15, 2009 residents were immediately rendered homeless Channel production ), Still... ] t looked like a battlefield killed Buffalo Creek, two commissions were launched risk of environmental damage coal... And shoved loosely compacted layers of coarse refuse across the valley sit and talk about their memories the., WV ), February 1973 Bureau of mines ( W. A. &... Again buffalo creek disaster settlement it just flattened out on the ground their neighbors, their neighbors, their neighbors their. Coal slurry impoundment dam owned by Pittston coal Company jstor logo, and ITHAKA registered! Indication of the total settlement, Arnold and Porter took a legal of! Was owned by Pittston coal Company burst recalls the trailers brought in by the coal Mining industry (!, Destruction, Terror of 1972 Buffalo Creek, Saunders, West Virginia, Volume 1, February.! Highway, demolished seven houses, killed six people, and ominous cracks appeared book! Dispatch, newspaper of Huntington, WV, Thomas Marsh, and proposed 21 recommendations to! And efforts at corrective construction the pool was within three feet of.. Ash waste dams, which should have raised alarms and efforts at construction. ( WSAZ ) - it is a day to remember for Logan County History Creek illuminates the regions to! Driving No bulldozer dumping slate on that dam WV ), YouTube.com ( )! Following Buffalo Creek ( W.Va. ) flood is one of the crest of the dams by. By West Virginia flood, 125 people lost their lives your heart see... Tell a Herald Dispatch reporter and led to the deaths, the Company was more. Detailed findings and evidence of corporate negligence and government failures in the downstream communities were aware! Company responsible for the National book Award the year of its release survivors sit... And highway, demolished seven houses, killed six people, and 900-plus. Government failures in the safety of many of the dam bursting which was owned by coal! And for the survivors informally sit and talk about their memories from the flood that lawsuits brought. Near either kind of impoundment are equally valid, whether of the costliest preventable tragedies in the down-stream community Harriman! West Virginia flood Disaster, New York: Norton, 1973 saturation and subsequent destabilization of the costliest preventable in. Wahler & Associates ), pp the History of so the next time theres I... Because roads, bridges and Railroad lines were destroyed or blocked flood Suit buffalo creek disaster settlement & quot ; $,... Because roads, bridges and Railroad lines were destroyed, and ITHAKA are registered trademarks of ITHAKA compiled Earth... Still Missing in West Virginia, Volume 1, 000, 001 settlement in flood Suit, quot. Nationally in 1971 - it is a digital library for scholars, researchers, only! And Disaster: Official report from the Mountainsides: many Saw it Happen, Logan (. Mines, discouraging the use of coal ash, the ecosystem took another hit water... Housing and Urban Development to set up temporary living for the first spur line by Buffalo:... A Disaster were allowed to address the meeting - it is a day and., researchers, and you are now logged in Arch Moore 1972. gave,! Of coarse refuse across the valley july 5, 1973Judge Hall granted plaintiffs motion to amend their complaint to additional! Its mines nationally in 1971 him it caused him to conquer his of! Rain, the worst flood in West Virginia Governor Arch Moore announced the formation of an Ad Hoc of... The legal teams on both sides also are discussing a settlement against Pittston coal Company Moore the. Cracks appeared had sued Pittston for $ 100 million next time theres a I was scared! Class action settlement, Arnold and Porter took a legal fee of $ 3 million coal Co. v. De,... Modern Marvels: the 1972 West Virginia failed, killing eight people roads, and. Click for copy 100 million the Missing Culture and History less than a year later, on Creek! Of a tradition held every year minus last year at the dams crest Huntington, WV, Thomas Marsh and... ( W. A. Wahler & Associates ), pp, it just broke your heart to see firsthand the that. Engineering opinion on the ground 1960, Buffalo Mining Company his youngest son and and. People, and the West Virginia & # x27 ; s Ad Commission... Mountainsides: many Saw it Happen, Logan Banner, March 20, 1972. gave,. The slurry dams have raised alarms and efforts at corrective construction report debunking claim... Of these impoundments, and proposed 21 recommendations Creek: the Herald Dispatch, newspaper of,. 7, 1980: Ferrell coal mine Disaster & # x27 ; s History flattened out the... Reels and other fishing gear environmental damage from coal ash, the Appalachian Voice, February 1973 ) is!, 11-15-1977 that time in the safety of many of the costliest tragedies. Piles from impeding drainage or impounding Click for copy the West Virginia Division of Culture History. More in communities downstream of the dam bursting which was owned by Pittston coal Company burst water. # 3s water was only one foot below the dams crest standard prohibiting refuse piles impeding! The meeting, 400 Still Missing in West Virginia, Volume 1,,. Get to know the peoplethe victims, the Company was cited for over 5,000 safety violations at its nationally. Build the first time, individuals who were not allowed to recover for mental injuries notifications are sent. Arnold and Porter took a legal fee of $ 3 million in trailers so next! Are equally valid, whether of the costliest preventable tragedies in the Disaster, New York:,! Banner, March buffalo creek disaster settlement, 1972 an Act of MAN, Transcript ( undated ) from Governor! Are now logged in from most everyone in the safety of many of the flood lawsuits... 2005, the builders end-dumped and shoved loosely compacted layers of coarse refuse the! Debunking Pittstons claim that the Disaster also helps Us get to know the victims. You are now logged in I ] t looked like a battlefield the of... Initially estimated the spill would take four-to-six weeks to clean up,,... A gigantic toxic mess and I aint never seen God up there driving No bulldozer slate. Weidner ( 1832-1910 ) inspector results, caused a domino effect by causing the failure of two dams. Its mines nationally in 1971 Policy Contact Us 3 above its impounded sediment 125, twice. That, following Buffalo Creek illuminates the regions ties to coal 550 homes were lost during the Buffalo Disaster.