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Tag: west virginia spill

  • Coal Slurry Spill Wreaks Havoc In WV

    Over one hundred thousand gallons of coal slurry is thought to have leaked into Fields Creek, blackening several miles of water in eastern Kanawha County, WV.

    The state Department of Environmental Protection says that officials are investigating the spill.

    The source of the leak is Patriot Coal, where a malfunction is said to have occurred inside a slurry valve. Janine Orf, a vice president at Patriot Coal, stated that containment efforts by the company began in the immediate aftermath of the spill and that cleanup efforts are ongoing.

    EPA officials stated that the water in Kanawha County was safe to drink, although there are some warnings in place due to an unrelated spill that occurred in January.

    That spill involved the leaking of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol or MCHM into the water. MCHM is a chemical that is used to wash coal and reduce ash ahead of its sale. That leak largely affected to Elk River. The January spill left upwards of 300,000 people unable to drink, bathe, or cook with water for about a week.

    A federal grand jury is currently investigating the MCHM spill. CNN was informed that subpoenas have been sent out in relation to the January leak. The network tested water independently and found traces of MCHM in untested waters and tap water.

    The coal slurry leak has local residents even more baffled and concerned.

    U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller has the same doubts as his constituents over the cleanliness and safety of the water in West Virginia in the aftermath of these serious spills.

    “I wouldn’t drink that water if you paid me,” he told NPR earlier in the week. “Nobody has said that it’s safe.”

    As investigations into both spills continue, it’s very likely that West Virginia natives will be far more inclined to rely on bottled water until affected and potentially water sources are deemed safe.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Pregnant Women: Water Ban Comes Late, Worries Residents

    A chemical spill last week in West Virginia prompted a water ban for residents in several counties–no drinking from the tap, no washing dishes, even brushing teeth was impossible unless bottled water was used–until a dangerous chemical was removed from the water system. When the ban was lifted after four days, residents were relieved…until officials issued a new warning to pregnant women.

    “The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health advises, after consultation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this evening, that the CDC recommends—out of an abundance of caution—that pregnant women drink bottled water until there are no longer detectable levels of MCHM in the water distribution system. However, the CDC re-affirmed previous advice that it does not anticipate any adverse health effects from levels less than 1 ppm,” read a statement from the Department of Health and Human Resources.

    The chemical tainting the water is 4-methylcyclohexane methanol–used in the washing and preparation of coal–can cause severe burning in throat, severe eye irritation, non-stop vomiting, trouble breathing or severe skin irritation/ blistering when exposure levels are high enough. The spill originated from Freedom Industries–which is located about a mile from the water plant–out of a 48,000 gallon tank. News of the spill spread quickly last Friday, sending several frightened people to nearby hospitals out of fear that they had already ingested it, and local retailers had a hard time keeping bottled water in stock.

    “It’s very upsetting,” said 38-year old Jennifer Kayrouz, who is 38-weeks pregnant. “I am not ingesting it, but I felt safe enough to shower in it … and was still washing dishes by hand. … I have a master’s in public health, and I know people are very polarized on this issue, but I put my faith in our local health department that said the water was safe. I feel like it wasn’t right. If it is not safe for me to drink pregnant, is it safe for my 55-pound daughter to drink or our pets? It’s very misleading. We got the green light, and three days later were told this one population really shouldn’t drink it. It kind of flies in the face of my training. What are we supposed to believe?’”

    The CDC says that water with one part of the chemical per million is safe to drink; however, it’s not known what effect it might have on a fetus.

    Image via Thinkstock