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Tag: west virginia chemical spill

  • West Virginia Chemical Spill Hurting The Economy

    A chemical spill has put much of West Virginia in a state of emergency. Because the chemicals have leaked into ground water, a water ban has been issued for the state. Over 300,000 people in the area are without water and many businesses and schools have closed as a result of the spill and the tap water ban.

    President Obama issued an emergency declaration for the state of West Virginia on Friday and ordered federal aid to assist with the cleanup and aftermath of the spill. The spill happened on Thursday on the Elk River where 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol was leaked into the water.

    The governor issued a tap water ban and warned residents to only use water to flush toilets and not to consume it or bathe in it. He said,

    “West Virginians in the affected service areas are urged not to use tap water for drinking, cooking, washing or bathing.” “Right now, our priorities are our hospitals, nursing homes and schools.”

    While businesses may not be a priority, business owners are losing money everyday that the ban is in effect. Not only are the locals not visiting their favorite restaurants and stores, but travelers and visitors are staying out of West Virginia for the time being as well. Nine counties have been affected by the chemical spill and water companies are saying it could still be days before it is safe to use tap water again.

    FEMA has delivered several trucks of water to the area but many people are unable to haul enough water to their homes to use as needed. Business owners weren’t the only ones frustrated by the closings. Many West Virginia residents who are unable to cook were depending on restaurants for meals.

    “I haven’t been able to cook anything at home and was hoping they were open,” Bill Rogers, 52, said outside a closed Tudor’s Biscuit World.

    The National Guard has said that they will need a 24-hour period where water samples are below 1 part per million before they can lift the tap water ban and allow West Virginia residents to use their water again.

    Image via YouTube.

  • West Virginia Tap Water Remains Unsafe

    A chemical spill with a strange, licorice-like smell has led to a massive water shortage in parts of West Virginia. The spill came from a tank belonging to Freedom Industries, a company that produces specialty chemicals for the mining, steel and cement industries.

    The spill happened Thursday, when as much as 5,000 gallons of a chemical called 4-methylcyclohexane methanol or Crude MCHM overran the containment area. It gushed into the Elk River and a nearby water treatment plant.

    The Charleston Gazette reported that it was the state Department of Environmental Protection’s air-quality officials that discovered that a leak had occurred.

    On Friday, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency for nine counties: Kanawha, Putnam, Jackson, Clay, Lincoln, Logan, Roane ,Boone, and parts of Cabell County. The affected area also includes the state capital of Charleston, the state’s largest city.

    In a press conference, he urged water customers in the affected counties to stop using water for everything but flushing toilets and fighting fires.

    “Do not drink it. Do not cook with it. Do not wash clothes in it. Do not take a bath in it. Please do not use any tap water if you’re a customer of West Virginia American Water.” Tomblin extended this warning to hospitals, restaurants, and other local businesses.

    the spill prompted President Obama to issue a state of emergency for the state within the same time period as the West Virginia governor, granting the state access to federal help in dealing with the massive chemical spill and its effects on local water supplies.

    The situation remains tense for West Virginia citizens. Within hours of the news spreading regarding the tap water situation, many stores in the region had sold out of bottled water. It reached the point where the sheriff’s office in Kanawha county reported 911 calls received due to fights breaking out over the remaining bottles.

    Jeff McIntyre, president of West Virginia American Water Co, told reporters on Saturday that his company has, “employees that have worked this (water) system that are extremely knowledgeable.” McIntyre stated that at present they were collecting samples and looking at flushing activity. The president of the water treatment plant emphasized that though they were hard at work to fix the problem, a solution to the situation would not be happening overnight.

    “We are talking days before water quality meets federally mandated quality standards”

    The 1 part per million requirement set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must be satisfied before any ban can be lifted. In the meantime, residents are forced to make due anyway they can.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • West Virginia Chemical Spill Sends Frightened Residents To Hospital

    A chemical spill in the Elk River has sent hundreds of West Virginia residents to the hospital out of fear for their health today, officials say.

    The chemical, 4-methylcyclohexane methanol–used for coal washing and prep–, began leaking from Freedom Industries out of a 48,000 gallon tank sometime late Wednesday or early Thursday. Freedom Industries is a chemical storage facility located about a mile from a water plant which affects Boone, Cabell, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Putnam and Roane counties.

    News of the spill spread quickly on Friday morning, sending many frightened residents to the hospital even though they weren’t displaying symptoms of illness. Now, finding clean water to drink, bathe in, and cook with has become a top priority. A spokesperson for West Virginia American Water Company says they have received calls about customers feeling ill, but nothing too serious. However, exposure to the chemical in large enough amounts can cause severe burning in throat, severe eye irritation, non-stop vomiting, trouble breathing or severe skin irritation/ blistering.

    “Our emergency rooms have been very busy with individuals unnecessarily concerned and presenting no symptoms,” Charleston Area Medical Center said.

    Officials say the water is safe only for flushing toilets or extinguishing fires at this point; a boil-water advisory would do no good, because heat doesn’t affect the chemical. Locals say there’s been a big run on bottled water at every retailer in the area, with no official word on when the water will be safe to drink. The spill has been declared an emergency by President Obama, who has authorized FEMA to organize relief efforts.

    “Right now, our priorities are our hospitals, nursing homes and schools,” Governor Earl Ray Tomblin said. “I’ve been working with our National Guard and Office of Emergency Services in an effort to provide water and supplies through the county emergency services offices as quickly as possible.”

    Image via Thinkstock