Tag: Energy & Environment

Freedom Industries Tanks Deemed 'Out of Compliance' Three Months Before Leak

Tanks at the facility that spilled chemicals into 300,000 West Virginians’ water supply were deemed out of federal compliance three months before the leak.
 
     U.S. Chemical Safety Board Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso told a congressional panel Monday that Freedom Industries ordered its own review of its tanks last October.

 
     Environmental consultants found storage units at the Charleston location were “not necessarily” in full compliance with Environmental Protection Agency and industry standards.
 
     Moure-Eraso also said the tank that spilled was rested on porous gravel and soil. A last resort containment wall was not lined and provided little protection.
 
     The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing on the spill Monday in Charleston.
 

Appalachian Power Customers Warned of Scam

Appalachian Power says small business owners are the target of a scam seeking to extort cash.

The power company says reports of the scam are coming from its West Virginia customers, but it says its customers in Virginia and Tennessee are also likely to be targeted.

The scam works this way:

  • Customers are receiving calls from someone purporting to represent the company and claiming that check or credit card payments are no longer being accepted. Appalachian Power says that is not the case.
  • The caller tells customers that their payments have been returned, they owe $1,000 and that it must be paid immediately with a prepaid credit card.

A spokesman for Appalachian Power says the company never demands payment in that matter.

Audio: Congressional Hearing on Elk River Chemical Spill

CongressHeaingFebruary102014Part2.mp3
The question and answer portion of Monday, Feb. 10th's U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee field hearing on the Elk River Chemical Spill.

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing Monday morning in Charleston to learn more about the Jan. 9 chemical spill into the Elk River that left 300,000 people banned from using tap water for up to 10 days.

The witness list included the president of West Virginia American Water, state health, homeland security and environmental officials, the chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board and county emergency and homeland security officials.

Freedom Industries President Gary Southern was invited but did not attend.

Two W.Va. members sit on the committee —Nick Rahall, the committee’s top Democrat, and Republican Shelley Moore Capito.

Bulk Water Distribution Sites in Kanawha Co. for February 7-9

 
The Kanawha County Commission and the City of Charleston have announced bulk water distribution sites for Friday, February 7th through Sunday, February 9th.

 

  • Crossing Mall – Elkview
  • Walmart Parking Lot – Quincy
  • Shawnee Park – Institute
  • Old Big Sandy Parking Lot – Cross Lanes
  • Big Lots Parking Lot –Patrick Street – Charleston

The Kanawha County Commission says bulk water tankers and buffaloes will remain at locations each day until 5:00 p.m. due to temperatures which are expected to drop below freezing nightly. 

The bulk tankers and buffaloes are being provided by West Virginia American Water Company and are being filled in Huntington and Montgomery.  If the tankers or buffaloes run out of water, they will be pulled and then driven to Huntington or Montgomery to be refilled.  Due to the travel time and filling time, the bulk containers may be offsite for several hours. 
 

Washington to Come to Charleston for Chemical Hearing

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has announced a field hearing in Charleston on West Virginia's chemical spill. The meeting will…

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has announced a field hearing in Charleston on West Virginia’s chemical spill. The meeting will take place Monday at 9 a.m. at the Kanawha County Courthouse.

The witness list includes the president of West Virginia American Water, state health officials, homeland security and environmental officials, the chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board and county emergency officials.

Freedom Industries President Gary Southern has been invited. His attendance has not been confirmed.

The Jan. 9 spill left 300,000 people banned from using tap water – many for up to 10 days.

Two W.Va. members sit on the committee —the committee’s top Democrat, Nick Rahall and Republican Shelley Moore Capito.

In a release by Capito’s office the Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Republican Bill Shuster, thanked Capito for requesting the hearing, saying quote “It will be critical to helping us understand why this incident happened and how we can better prevent something like this from happening again.”

A Wacky and Wild Winter in West Virginia

West Virginia’s going through a tough winter. Not just because several places have endured record low temperatures,  but also because it’s on pace to get more than usual amounts of snowfall.

West Virginia’s lowlands are on pace to get higher than normal amounts of snowfall this year, according to Joe Merchant, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Merchant adds however, that some of the highest elevations are receiving about the same amounts of snowfall as expected.

“It’s been an unusual few years,” he said. “We’ve seen quite a variance in the weather and the patterns that bring it over the past few years.”

Charleston, Morgantown, and Elkins, along with some other cities, are also seeing record low temperatures this winter.

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