West Virginia University is seeking the public’s help in gathering data on the effects of underground coal slurry injection on water supplies.

Under a contract with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the university is asking for data that documents the impact of slurry injection on surface water, ground water, well water and drinking water supplies.

Types of data that could be included in the study include reports of water testing in household or commercial wells, public and private water systems, in streams and rivers and groundwater.

Alan Ducatman, department chair at WVU Com-munity Medi-cine, told the Daily News data has al-ready been submitted from a study of six slurry injection sites in the state as part of Phase 1 of the study.

“We have data from Kan-awha, McDowell, Boone and Nicholas counties,” Dr. Ducatman said. “Phase 2 of the project will consist of study of the health effect of slurry injection.”

Dr. Ducatman says the Department of Community Medicine is strictly concerned with the medical issues involved.

“We are not on either side of any controversy,” he said. “We are not, and must not become, part of any legal process.”

Through an agreement negotiated between WVU and the WV Bureau for Public Health, researchers will evaluate existing environmental and human heal-th data, including information collected for the first phase of the study, concerning coal slurry injection and produce a risk assessment document.

In order to produce this document, scientists will also interview experts and obtain information from local, state and federal authorities as well as from experts in nonprofit foundations, research institutions and industries.

Dr. Ducatman said the study is interested in quantitative, measurable data that shows an effect on water supplies.

“We are most interested in stream and water data quality before and after slurry injection,” he explained.

Although researchers are not conducting research in Mingo County, the project would benefit from input from the area.

“We are not engaged locally,” Dr. Ducatman said. “But if there is publicly available data, we would certainly be able to use it.”

Goals of the project include identifying the hazards of slurry injection on human health as well as surface water and aquatic ecosystems and comparing the hazards if injecting to other means of dealing with slurry from mining operations.

Persons who have questions, data or other information are asked to contact Terry Polce at 304 293-2867 ex. 5450, coalslurry@mail.wvu.edu or visit the Web site www.coalslurry.net.