Fed Scientists Finish Study of West Virginia Chemical Spill

Federal government scientists have released a final update of their study of the January 2014 chemical spill that temporarily fouled the drinking water supplies of 300,000 Charleston-area residents, reporting no significant new findings.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail cited the report Friday as finding “most of the spilled chemicals had no effects in the studies that were performed” after the spill of a coal-cleaning agent at a Freedom Industries site near the Elk River that year.

The work was conducted by the National Toxicology Program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The newspaper said scientists found any potential for negative health effects would only occur at significantly higher doses than residents would have had in their water under a health advisory set up after the spill.