WSAZ Investigates | West Virginia legislators react to Wayne water crisis

CHARLESTON, W.Va . (WSAZ) — On Friday, Wayne Mayor Danny Grace lifted the “Do Not Consume” order on the town’s water, three weeks after putting it in place.

Authorities say the crisis was caused by a vandalism incident at an AEP substation in East Lynn at an abandoned coal mine lead to oil leaking into the waterways.

Wayne’s state legislators say they’ve been following the crisis closely. Senator Mark Maynard (R-Wayne) said he’s been affected personally.

“A great inconvenience,” Maynard told WSAZ. “You don’t realize how much you appreciate your water to wash clothes or wash dishes or brush your teeth.”

“So it’s been a long journey, but hopefully we’re on the backside of it,” he continued.

Maynard told WSAZ he hopes the state has learned from the crisis.

“Probably it’s a good lesson for state government because they’ve had to step up,” he said. This is kind of a new thing, that I know of, for them.”

The state legislature has seen several bills recently that could address water crises like Wayne’s, including one that would enhance communication during service disruptions; and another that gives the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection access to federal dollars to clean up old coal mines, like the one in Wayne.

Del. Ryan Browning (R-Wayne) says he believes the latter bill could have helped prevent the wayne water crisis.

“Yeah, not only hope, I think it will help this situation because it goes directly into these abandoned mine systems,” Browning told WSAZ.

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