West Virginia Chemical Spill Cuts Water for Up to 300,000
January 10th, 2014Freedom Industries, F*ck Yeah!
Via: Reuters:
A chemical spill along a West Virginia river on Thursday has resulted in a tap water ban for as many as 300,000 people, shutting down bars and restaurants and forcing residents to line up for bottled water at stores.
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency for nine counties as a result of the spill of 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol, a chemical used in the coal industry. The spill occurred along the Elk River in Charleston, the capital and largest city of the eastern U.S. state.
Health officials were advising residents to use the water only for flushing toilets and fighting fires.
“West Virginians in the affected service areas are urged NOT to use tap water for drinking, cooking, washing or bathing,” Gov. Tomblin said in a statement. “Right now, our priorities are our hospitals, nursing homes, and schools.”
Local media showed pictures of West Virginia residents lining up at stores for bottled water, and store shelves that had been emptied of their supplies.
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The spill originated with Freedom Industries, a Charleston company, according to Laura Jordan, external affairs manager for West Virginia American Water.
It occurred right above the intake of the Kanawha Valley water treatment plant in Charleston – the largest in West Virginia – and affects 100,000 homes and businesses, or 250,000 to 300,000 people, Jordan said.
