Federal government scientists have found that mountaintop removal is eliminating mayflies in the creeks downstream from large mining operations, according to a new study being published later this year.

The findings not only indicate mountaintop removal is harming aquatic bugs, but also show large-scale mining is damaging overall water quality downstream from valley fills.

Two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency experts drew this conclusion as they continued research started as part of a broad federal study of mountaintop removal prompted by a citizen lawsuit.

"We collected more data at more sites and we continued to see this pattern, and at some sites, they are just not there," said Margaret Passmore, an environmental scientist with the EPA's field office in Wheeling.

Passmore wrote the study with Gregory Pond, an EPA aquatic biologist who also works out of Wheeling. Their work is to be published in the September issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of the North American Benthological Society.

The EPA revealed the study's findings Wednesday in a news release to announce that Passmore and Pond had received the agency's Regional Science Achievement Award for their work.

"While habitat degradation from mountaintop mining is what one sees on the surface, we found that chemical effects are quite pronounced and limit much of the expected biodiversity from what were once naturally rich, diverse Appalachian stream systems," Pond said in the EPA news release.

Mayflies are short-lived aquatic insects that are considered an important part of the food web. They are especially vital for fish such as trout, bass and catfish.

When they mature in the spring, mayflies can make up 30 percent to 60 percent of individual insects in streams. Because of their numbers - and because they are very sensitive to pollution - they are good indicators of impacts on aquatic life and overall water quality, Passmore said.

Randy Pomponio, director of the EPA's environmental innovations and assessments division, said, "Maggie and Greg assessed 49 streams in West Virginia to determine the effects of upstream mining activities on downstream benthic macroinvertebrate communities. They learned through their study that whole orders of benthic organisms were being eliminated in streams below mines, which indicates that aquatic life is being impaired."

Passmore was part of an EPA team that produced a key stream assessment used in the federal government's broad mountaintop removal study, published in 2005. Passmore won the same EPA science award for that work.

The landmark 2005 study found a wide variety of environmental problems associated with mountaintop removal, but rather than use those findings to write tougher new rules, the Bush administration has moved to try to loosen regulation of mountaintop removal.

"These are very significant findings," said Joe Lovett, director of the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment. "It's unfortunate that while agency scientists were collecting data showing the harm that these mines are causing, agency regulators were arguing that valley fills cause no harm."

To contact staff writer Ken Ward Jr., use e-mail or call 348-1702.

Federal government scientists have found that mountaintop removal is eliminating mayflies in the creeks downstream from large mining operations, according to a new study being published later this year.

The findings not only indicate mountaintop removal is harming aquatic bugs, but also show large-scale mining is damaging overall water quality downstream from valley fills.

Two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency experts drew this conclusion as they continued research started as part of a broad federal study of mountaintop removal prompted by a citizen lawsuit.

"We collected more data at more sites and we continued to see this pattern, and at some sites, they are just not there," said Margaret Passmore, an environmental scientist with the EPA's field office in Wheeling.

Passmore wrote the study with Gregory Pond, an EPA aquatic biologist who also works out of Wheeling. Their work is to be published in the September issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of the North American Benthological Society.

The EPA revealed the study's findings Wednesday in a news release to announce that Passmore and Pond had received the agency's Regional Science Achievement Award for their work.

"While habitat degradation from mountaintop mining is what one sees on the surface, we found that chemical effects are quite pronounced and limit much of the expected biodiversity from what were once naturally rich, diverse Appalachian stream systems," Pond said in the EPA news release.

Mayflies are short-lived aquatic insects that are considered an important part of the food web. They are especially vital for fish such as trout, bass and catfish.

When they mature in the spring, mayflies can make up 30 percent to 60 percent of individual insects in streams. Because of their numbers - and because they are very sensitive to pollution - they are good indicators of impacts on aquatic life and overall water quality, Passmore said.

Randy Pomponio, director of the EPA's environmental innovations and assessments division, said, "Maggie and Greg assessed 49 streams in West Virginia to determine the effects of upstream mining activities on downstream benthic macroinvertebrate communities. They learned through their study that whole orders of benthic organisms were being eliminated in streams below mines, which indicates that aquatic life is being impaired."

Passmore was part of an EPA team that produced a key stream assessment used in the federal government's broad mountaintop removal study, published in 2005. Passmore won the same EPA science award for that work.

The landmark 2005 study found a wide variety of environmental problems associated with mountaintop removal, but rather than use those findings to write tougher new rules, the Bush administration has moved to try to loosen regulation of mountaintop removal.

"These are very significant findings," said Joe Lovett, director of the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment. "It's unfortunate that while agency scientists were collecting data showing the harm that these mines are causing, agency regulators were arguing that valley fills cause no harm."

To contact staff writer Ken Ward Jr., use e-mail or call 348-1702.