Newspaper Article

YEAGER AIRPORT

Steelhammer, Rick

2015

Overview

Work is expected to begin this week on a project designed to stabilize the slip zone at the end of Yeager Airport's main runway overlooking Keystone Drive and Elk Two-Mile Creek, where landslides on March 12 and 13 destroyed two homes and a church, caused flooding that damaged at least six other homes, and continues to leave five families homeless. The Charleston airport's board of directors voted unanimously on Wednesday to award an $855,000 contract to S&E Clearing & Hydroseeding of Varney in Mingo County to remove nearly 150,000 cubic yards of material from the slip zone. In the process of removing the dirt and rocks, the grade of the runway slope facing Keystone Drive would be reduced, enhancing safety from slides. \"We don't have the time or the money and the work needs to be done,[Rick Atkinson] said prior to the vote. \"Frankly, I don't think we have a choice but to enter the contract, he told board members. \"The engineers say the material will stay up there for a while, but eventually it's going to come down. My fear is that if more material comes into the diversion channel in Elk Two-Mile (dug after the March slide), there's no way to get it open again quickly. ...We could have more flooding and water backed up to Go-Mart. \"AIG's position is that we have no liability and we haven't been sued yet, so we shouldn't have to pay claims, Atkinson said. \"But we have people whose lives are still in limbo 45 days after the slide. We've said from the first day after the slide that we wanted adjusters up here to help people get on with their lives, but they haven't chosen to do so.

• Publisher: Charleston Newspapers
• Subject: Atkinson, Rick