Elk River Chemical Spill Story Archives - Page 39 of 41

Water Resources Commission Launches Investigation Into Chemical Spill

Senate Majority Leader John Unger (D-Berkeley) announced today that the Joint Legislative Oversight Commission on State Water Resources, which he co-chairs, is launching an investigation into the recent chemical spill in Kanawha County that led to the ongoing contamination crisis.

“This whole series of events is unacceptable,” says Unger. “While the response to this crisis has been commendable, the Legislature is determined to work to ensure that this never happens again.”

The chemical spill, originating from the property of Freedom Industries along the Elk River, caused a nine county State of Emergency and a Do Not Use water order for over 300,000 West Virginians.

Majority Leader Unger says the Commission will also be looking at the state agencies responsible for oversight of these types of facilities.

“We want to find out how long this chemical was leaking and who knew about it, and if no one knew, why not. There will definitely be a change to the way things have been done in past.”

The Commission will be watching the situation closely. Majority Leader Unger will introduce legislation that provides oversight of these types of storage facilities and will protect our water resources.

Water Resources Commission Launches Investigation Into Chemical Spill

The chemical spill, originating from the property of Freedom Industries along the Elk River, caused a nine county State of Emergency and a Do Not Use water order for over 300,000 West Virginians.

Majority Leader Unger says the Commission will also be looking at the state agencies responsible for oversight of these types of facilities.

“We want to find out how long this chemical was leaking and who knew about it, and if no one knew, why not. There will definitely be a change to the way things have been done in past.”

Neighbor Helping Neighbor; West Virginians Setup Donation Stations

Residents are pitching in across the state to help out their fellow West Virginians. Churches, schools and even businesses have been collecting items for several days and sending to areas affected by the ban.

As the ban to use water is slowly lifted, several places in Wyoming County are still collecting items like baby wipes, diapers, formula, and of course … water.

“Go without water for a few days and you’ll just how much you miss that water,” Charlene Cook said.

Cook is the Director of Operations at the Mullens Opportunity Center. Cook says these items are meant to help those who remain without access to clean water, one of whom she ran into while in at a restaurant in Beckley.

“She was there in Raleigh County to buy water because she said she stood in line for eight hours for a gallon of water and my heart just broke for her,” she said.

Cook says donations are also meant to help those carrying a financial burden during this time. Some businesses have been closed for almost four days.

Cook remembers all too well what it’s like to be without water. Mullens has been rebuilding since massive a massive flood in 2001.

“So we know what it’s like to have people to reach out to us,” she said. “We’ve been through the boil water advisories.”

In Wyoming County donations are being accepted at the Brenton Community Church, Oceana New Life Church, Pineville Family Resource Network and the Mullens Opportunity Center.

The supplies will be picked up after there is enough to fill a truck. Contact Wyoming County family Resource Network for more information.

West Virginia American Water: 'Zones' Become 'Areas', More Cleared

Updated: January 14, 2014 at 10:30 a.m.

From West Virginia American Water’s Facebook page:

As West Virginia American Water proceeds with the lifting of Do Not Use, we will refer to the localities being lifted as "areas." Yesterday, we used the term "zones" to describe the four primary locations close to the Kanawha Valley treatment plant where we were able to lift the ban and ensure that the transition did not disrupt our production and distribution system. The areas where we are lifting the Do Not Use orders are based on pressure zones, and the order of the lift announcements are determined by where acceptable test results obtained from samples have been confirmed. If you have any questions when a new Do Not Use lift is issued, please refer to the map listed under “Do Not Use Water” section of our website at www.westvirginiaamwater.com.

Updated: January 13, 2014 at 9:52 p.m.

Zone Four in North Charleston has been cleared for the flushing process to begin as of 9 p.m. If you have questions about whether your home or business has been approved for the flush process, see West Virginia American Water’s interactive map:

http://www.amwater.com/about-us/news.html

Also, the water company announced the fourth zone will end Monday’s flushing process for the day. More zones will be approved for flushing Tuesday.

From West Virginia American Water’s Facebook page:

"After lifting the "do not use" order for 26,000 customers today, the system needs time to settle so our operators can measure how it is reacting to the flushing activity. Therefore, we will not lift any additional zones tonight. We will provide updates on the next lift zone early Tuesday morning. Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation."

Updated: January 13, 2014 at 7:14 p.m.

Zone 3, containing most of South Charleston, has now been cleared to start flushing systems within their homes and cleaning appliances. Make sure you are checking the West Virginia American Water interactive map to make sure your zone’s advisory has been lifted before beginning the flushing process. The map can be found at the link below.

http://www.amwater.com/about-us/news.html

Updated: January 13, 2014 at 5:49 p.m.

Through a news release, Facebook, and Twitter, West Virginia American Water has announced the ban on the second zone has been lifted, which includes nearly all of the Kanawha City area.

Customers of the water company are urged not to begin the flushing process until their zone is approved. To find out if your zone is ready for the flushing process, refer to West Virgina American Water’s interactive map on their website here:

http://www.amwater.com/about-us/news.html

Original Story Posted January 13, 2014 at 1:52 p.m.

A ban on tap water has been lifted in part of West Virginia that was hit by a chemical that spilled into a river and tainted the water supply.

     Gov. Earl Tomblin made the announcement at a news conference Monday, five days after about 300,000 people were told not to drink, wash or use the water in any way other than to flush their toilets.

     Officials are lifting the ban in a strict, methodical manner to help ensure the water system is not overwhelmed by excessive demand, which could cause more water quality and service issues.

     The water crisis started Thursday when the chemical used in coal processing leaked from a Freedom Industries plant into the nearby Elk River.

     It’s still not clear exactly what caused a tank to start leaking the chemical.

West Virginia American Water has set up a website for customers to find out if their zone has been approved. Customers have also been told they can call a toll free number if they need assistance in identifying which zone they reside. That

The water company has also provided highly detailed step-by-step instructions for customers to refer to once their zone has been cleared for the flushing process.

7 Things We Know About the Chemical Spill in West Virginia

For four days, more than 300,000 West Virginia American Water customers in West Virginia have been told not to ingest, cook, bathe, wash or boil water.

Why? A chemical spill Thursday of 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol from Freedom Industries in Charleston.

On Friday, we asked five questions about the spill. Since then, we have found some answers, and even more questions.

1. How harmful is this chemical to drink or breathe?

We still don’t have a definitive answer on this, although West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Glynis Board has this great story about Crude MCHM. The Centers for Disease Control gave state officials a standard of 1 part per million as safe, but it’s still unclear where that came from. As Board reports, it could be because Crude MCHM is not considered acutely toxic, so it is regulated under secondary drinking water standards of .5 milligrams per liter.

The long-term effects of this chemical upon humans appear to be unknown. The head of the Kanawha/Charleston Health Department suggests federal or state funding for a long-term study.

2. How much of this chemical entered the Elk River? When did the spill start?

Timeline:

7 a.m. – 8 a.m.: People in area start complaining about the smell.

10:30 a.m.: This is when Freedom Industries President Gary Southern says his employees discover the leak. Apparently, no one from the company notifies state or local officials, or calls the spill hotline, as required.

11:05 a.m.: After receiving odor complaints from residents, DEP officials show up at the site. Freedom Industries had not called to report the leak to them.

12:05 p.m.: Freedom Industries reports spill to hotline.

As for when the leak started: it’s not known yet exactly when. But since Crude MCHM has such a low odor threshold, state environmental officials think residents started smelling it very soon after it started leaking into the Elk River.

State environmental officials estimate 7,500 gallons of Crude MCHM leaked into the Elk River.

3. Why can’t we determine how much of this chemical is in the drinking water supply?

At the time of the spill, state and water officials had no good way to quickly test for Crude MCHM. Since then, the West Virginia National Guard and state health and environmental officials have worked at breakneck speed to develop a reliable test and brought the testing time down to under 20 minutes per sample.

4. Why are we allowing chemicals to be stored so near a major water source, especially when we apparently have no way to test for it in the drinking water?

West Virginia American Water officials say they were not aware this chemical was being stored 1.5 miles upstream. Freedom Industry had filed a required Tier Two Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory form, but according to the Wall Street Journal, a local emergency planner and a spokeswoman for the water company both say they never saw it.

This site was not regulated because of an apparent loophole. Plants that make or use chemicals are more heavily regulated, but this plant only stored chemicals. The last time it was inspected by state environmental officials was 1991 — when it was an entirely different type of facility, owned by a different company.

Charleston Gazette reporter Ken Ward asks the question, Why wasn’t there a plan? As he reports, there were lots of warnings.

5. Is exposure to this chemical in the air or water making anyone sick? From DHHR Secretary Karen Bowling at press conference Monday: 14 people admitted to hospital, 231 people were treated and released. No deaths have been blamed on the spill as of Sunday evening. WV Poison Control received more than 1,000 calls.

6. Why was the “Do Not Use” order issued at least 10 hours (and perhaps more) after the spill started? The Do Not Use order wasn’t issued until the 5 o’clock hour. Earlier that afternoon, West Virginia American Water officials said the treatment plant could handle the contaminant. Why did they change their minds? Did pressure from Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and other state officials influence the company’s decision to issue the Do Not Use order? Or did new facts on the ground, like growing knowledge of the extent of the contamination, lead them to issue the order?

7. When will it be safe to use the water again? Flushing has begun, with priority going to regions that have large hospitals, but it could take days for everyone in the region to be told they can use their water again.

What we still don’t know:

What are the long-term effects, if any, from exposure to Crude MCHM?

Will it linger in customers’ pipes and water heaters?

Who will be held responsible for the leak?

What’s the full story behind Freedom Industries and its owners (Charleston Gazette reporter David Gutman has a start on this one already)?

How will state and federal lawmakers respond?

What’s the financial impact on families, businesses, and local and state coffers?

How much compensation, if any, will those impacted receive for their losses?

This is not the first serious chemical release in the Kanawha Valley – when will the next one occur, and are we ready?

What questions do you still have? Leave them in the comments.

End of Outage May Be in Sight for Water Customers, Businesses

John Kaiser of Dunbar has been without water since Thursday. No dishes, no laundry, no shower just like 300,000 other West Virginians.

But Sunday, you could say, was a better day for Kaiser. Sunday one of his three Kanawha County restaurants—a Steak Escape connected to a gas station on Corridor G—was allowed to reopen.

“You had to submit a plan to the health department of how you would meet their standards,” he said. “We did that and they came out (Saturday) night, did a walk through, did an inspection and they approved us.”

Kaiser said his restaurant brings in about three to four thousand dollars on the typical Saturday, but this week he lost that revenue. And he’s not alone.

Hundreds of businesses in nine counties have had to close up shop since a chemical leak contaminated the drinking water supply Thursday and spread through the entire West Virginia American Water System.

“The numbers overnight have trended the way we expected them to,” said Col. Greg Grant as he updated the media Sunday afternoon.

He heads a team of National Guard chemist who, with the help of 16 teams, have collected hundreds of samples throughout the distribution system.

Samples tested at 10 labs in West Virginia plus one in Ohio and another in Pittsburgh show less and less of the chemical is present in the water, getting customers one step closer to life as usual.

West Virginia American Water President Jeff McIntyre said the green light has not been given to begin flushing the system, but when it begins, crews will flush it out in zones.

Zones that include hospitals and the highest population densities are the top priorities to get back online, but McIntyre said it will still be a difficult process for customers to understand.

“They’re done by pressure zones so they will overlap zip codes, they will overlap county lines, they will overlap city lines because they’re based on our system pressure zones,” he explained.

So, McIntyre and his team have set up a website where customers can simply type in their address and a virtual map will show you if you’re in a zone that’s been given the all clear.

A hotline to check on your clearance will also be set up and automatic calls will be made by the company when your home is in the green, but the phone number and web address are not being released until the first zone is ready to begin flushing.

Governor Tomblin warned customers to heed the directions of water officials and not start their own part of the flushing process early.

“This is still a state of emergency. Please don’t jump ahead,” he said Sunday. “That green light has not been given yet.”

Department of Health and Human Resources Secretary Karen Bowling said detailed protocols on how to deal with cleaning will be dispersed when flushing starts as well. Those protocols will include dealing with pipes, hot water tanks, appliances, anything that has come in contact with the contaminated water.

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Randy Huffman said there has been no reported impact to neither animal nor aquatic life since the leak. No fish kill has been reported, which he said was a concern.

Freedom Industries is reportedly working closely with DEP teams to clean up the site as quickly as possible.

DEP Emergency Response Director Mike Dorsey said they’ve dug trenches to collect chemical leaching in the groundwater and have set up booms on the riverbank to prevent any additional chemical from getting into the Elk River.

Tomblin added, however, he thinks the company should have offered more assistance in the water recovery effort.

“As we found out, most people did not know a whole lot about this particular chemical,” he said. “As you saw, we had to do a lot of research internally very quickly to find out what effects it may have.”

“I think perhaps they could have been a little more forthcoming and offer their assistance on what problems this particular chemical could have caused.”

Tomblin said regulations will be a top priority as the legislative session continues. He plans to work with DEP Secretary Huffman to figure out how to regulate such storage facilities.