Federal inspectors will review a Shenandoah man's claims that a subsidence might have caused coal ash disposed of in Ellengowan to pollute the mine pool.

Robert Gadinski asked for the federal review after officials at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection declined to act on his complaint about Ellengowan.

A geologist who retired from the department, Gadinski saw a circular or U-shaped channel when looking at the site on Google Earth, and said the pattern normally indicates that ground subsided.

In response, state environmental workers said the circular channel formed where the ash slurry migrated to its lowest elevation. They also said no water monitoring data indicates that the ash has contaminated the mine pool.

Thomas Shope, director of the federal mining office in Pittsburgh, however, said the state workers didn't show their evidence — such as water data, mine maps and inspection reports — when refuting Gadinski.

Shope ordered the review by the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. He said inspectors will review recent and historic water quality data from Ellengowan. When they take water samples, Gadinski can go with them.

Colleen Connolly of the state environmental department in Wilkes-Barre said the department always cooperates when the U.S. Office of Surface Mining asks for information or follow-ups.

Gadinski said at least federal people will look at issues that he started raising in 2007.

"Citizen complaints shouldn't take seven years," he said.

At Ellengowan, he noticed no standing water on the surface but said mine pool water temperatures reached the 70s, although groundwater usually stays in the 50s.

What he sees at the site suggests that coal ash doesn't set like concrete and isn't conducive to reclaiming mines, although Pennsylvania has permitted its use that way for more than 20 years.

He thinks the ash, which can contain various metals, will drop into the mine pool.

"And it's going to come out somewhere," Gadinski said.

kjackson@standardspeaker.com