(Editor's note: Today is the first of two parts examining the coal operation in our area, in light of the tainted drinking water in West Virginia.)

The industrial water-poisoning issue that tainted drinking water in the capital of West Virginia is a situation that likely wouldn't happen at coal operations in the Tamaqua area, according to officials.The chemical spill from a coal processing plant that choked the capital city of Charleston, W. Va., put 300,000 without potable water beginning Jan. 9.But such an event would be a surprise in a place like Tamaqua, say those in charge of monitoring such hazards."It's highly unlikely," said Colleen Connolly, of the Department of Environmental Protection's Northeast Region Office, explaining that the chemical which led to the contamination isn't used locally.Connolly said the chemical that leaked into the Charleston-area water is known as 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, or MCHM. It's used to wash coal to remove impurities and pollutants before burning.The American Association of Poison Control Centers says it's harmful if swallowed or inhaled. MCHM can cause eye and skin irritation, nausea, and vomiting.State officials in W. Va. were caught off-guard, and forced to ban use of water for everything except flushing toilets. After the leak, they said they had looked to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to give them advice."There are unknowns," said Karen Bowling, state Secretary Health and Human Resources."So we have to rely on what's already known about it and what's been tested about this particular chemical."More than 7,500 gallons had leaked into the Elk River.Locally, Lehigh Anthracite uses a lime mixture to wash coal, something which wouldn't pose a similar threat."They just use a powder or pebble mixture of lime mixed with water to dissipate or soften the metal content in the water," said Connolly.Storage tanks an issueIn W. Va., the company's storage tanks apparently hadn't been inspected in 20 years.Pennsylvania inspects at least yearly."Every storage tank here has to be registered and permitted by DEP," said Connolly. "There are regular inspections done on every above-ground storage tank in the state, some two or three times a year."Connolly also said that Pennsylvania utilizes "among the most comprehensive storage regulations on the East Coast."Fact is, Pennsylvania learned the hard way.It took a 1980s diesel fuel spill of 700,000 gallons into the Monongahela River for the state to tighten up storage tank regulations.At Tamaqua, a large tank is situated not far from the access road to Lehigh Anthracite. It's an ammonia tank owned by Tanner Industries and not associated with the coal company.In all respects, the local coal company said its operation cannot be compared to the one in W. Va."It's different from down there," said Cheryl Gnall of Lehigh Anthracite.Gnall indicated last week that President Richard "Rusty" Taylor wouldn't be interested in making comparisons between the Tamaqua facility and the one in W. Va. because they're two distinctly different operations.Largest operation in Pa.Lehigh Anthracite produces up to 500,000 tons of anthracite coal mined from the Mammoth, Forty-Foot, Primrose and Orchard seams.The operation is part of an approximately 8,000-acre mine, the largest surface mining permit in Pennsylvania.The coal at Tamaqua is tested, washed and processed on-site, then loaded using a new rail load-out facility located on the Blue Mountain, Reading & Northern Railroad.Mine drainage flows into the Little Schuylkill River which empties into the Schuylkill River.The river doesn't supply drinking water for Tamaqua but does supply potable water for more than 1.5 million in Philadelphia, according to the Philadelphia Water Department.A spokesman from the DEP's Pottsville office indicated that 16 coal processing facilities in Pa. use a similar method to W. Va. but none appear to be located in northeastern Pennsylvania.However, the MCHM chemical isn't on DEP's regulated substance list, similar to the situation in W. Va.Tamaqua area residents remain cautious about water and air quality issues ever since the fly ash controversy dumping that surfaced in the region a decade ago.Coming Tuesday: We'll take a look at the fly ash controversy that sparked community outrage 10 years ago.