The activists paddled out at about 7.30am with banners reading, “Slurry poisons Appalachia” and “Gov. Tomblin, put health over profit.”

In a statement on the RAMPS website, protester Ricki Draper, one of the two that boated onto the impoundment, said she wore Tyvec suits, respirators and rubber gloves.

“I was scared on the impoundment but I am more terrified of the coal industry’s continued disregard for human life and land,” Draper said.

“After taking all of the coal, Alpha will abandon Appalachia in order to find other resources and communities to extract.

RAMPS said while the first protest was taking place on the impoundment, a third protester locked himself to a barrel of waste from the impoundment in front of Governor Earl Ray Tomblin's mansion.

After Tomblin refused to meet with a group outside the building, RAMPS said the protester locked to the barrel was cut free, spilling the slurry waste onto Tomblin’s front steps.

Both of the protesters on the boat were arrested on trespassing charges but released without bail by the day’s end.