CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Governor Patrick Morrisey has announced the allocation of $2 million in funding to kick off the long-anticipated environmental cleanup of the Arbuckle Creek Superfund Site in Fayette County.
The funding, included in the state’s 2025 budget, will be matched by federal dollars and used to address contamination left behind by the former Shaffer Equipment Company in Minden.
“This cleanup is a long-overdue investment in the health and safety of Minden residents,” said Governor Morrisey. “Thanks to the collaboration among federal, state, and local partners, we are taking meaningful steps to protect West Virginians from dangerous chemicals.”
The site, located in the community of Minden, became contaminated after damaged transformers placed by Shaffer Equipment between 1970 and 1984 leaked polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the soil and nearby Arbuckle Creek.
PCBs are toxic industrial compounds that have been linked to increased cancer risk and reproductive health problems.
Although some cleanup efforts took place in the 1980s and early 2000s, concerns about lingering contamination persisted.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched renewed assessments in 2017, and the site was officially added to the EPA’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 2019, qualifying it for Superfund assistance.
The $2 million secured by Governor Morrisey’s office, in partnership with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), fulfills the state’s matching requirement.
A contract between WVDEP and EPA Region 3 was finalized in April 2025, setting the stage for the project to proceed.
For more information about the Arbuckle Creek Superfund Site, visit the EPA’s website.
