NITRO, W.Va. — The Nitro City Council voted Tuesday to approve a bid for a mussel survey as part of its riverbank stabilization project.
The council is looking to construct a 10-foot longitudinal dike along a 600-foot section of riverbank at Nitro City Park. Additional construction would also include building a walkway to the Kanawha River, a stage, three picnic shelters and a connecting walkway to other paths in the park.
Mayor David Casebolt said the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources requested a mussel survey as park of the project.
“Potentially, the mussels would have to be removed,” he said.
According to the April 2016 version of West Virginia Mussel Survey Protocols, all mussels are protected in the state and nine mussels found in water sources are recognized as endangered by the federal government.
The city council voted 6-1 to approve Allstar Ecology of Fairmont to survey the planned location and remove any found mussels. The group placed the lowest bid from three organizations, requesting $12,000 for surveying the site and an additional $3,000 if mussels have to be removed.
Casebolt said the bid was “several thousand dollars lower” than the other bids placed for the same service, and GAI Consultants of Charleston, the engineering firm responsible for the project, approved of Allstar Ecology.
“They’ve been in contact with them and were aware of their work,” he said.
Councilman At-Large Andy Shamblin voted against apporving the bid, making numerous jokes during the meeting about making sure the mussels were treated properly.
“I think it’s a complete waste of taxpayer money to have to go through that process just to rock a riverbank,” he said. “It was a protest vote more than anything else against the process of doing it.”
Casebolt said the surveying will be underway within three weeks, adding this does increase the original $742,000 cost of the project. Money for the project is coming from the city’s sales tax account.