Tag: Energy & Environment

Two W.Va. Schools Cancel Class After Chemical Odor

Two West Virginia schools closed early because of an odor resembling the chemical that spilled into a regional water system last month. Riverside High and…

Two West Virginia schools closed early because of an odor resembling the chemical that spilled into a regional water system last month.
 
     Riverside High and Midland Trail Elementary in Kanawha County closed Wednesday morning because of the licorice smell.
 
     The chemical wasn’t detected in previous testing.
 
     State schools Superintendent James Phares said schools were flushing their pipes Wednesday because of a water main break earlier in the week and didn’t finish before students arrived. Phares said some students complained of lightheadedness, itchy eyes and noses. A teacher who fainted and a student were taken to a hospital.
 
     The schools are reflushing and testing for the chemical. No decision will be made about Thursday’s classes until results return. The schools also have hand sanitizer and bottled water

Five Things West Virginia Heard Wednesday from CDC, EPA, & Gov. Tomblin

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin was joined Wednesday by state officials as well as officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Environmental Protection Agency to provide an update to the ongoing response to the January 9 chemical spill by Freedom Industries into the Elk River.

Here’s what we learned from the briefing:

1. The 1 parts per million threshold for MCHM doesn’t declare the water “safe.”

Dr. Tanja Popovic, Deputy Associate Director for Science for the CDC, echoed earlier explanations that the 1 ppm standard for MCHM levels in the water was determined by three safety factors, which multiply to 1,000. She also stated that the recommendation means the water is “acceptable for use” rather than “safe.”

2. CDC officials say it is “unlikely” for the water to cause long term health effects.

Popovic also says that it is “unlikely” for the water to cause long term health effects based on the “short-term exposure” of those who reported symptoms, as well as their symptoms being deemed “generally mild.” She also says the CDC has no plans to monitor the population affected by the chemical spill and subsequent water crisis.

3. The state interagency team who has been involved in the efforts following the chemical spill does not plan to test homes.

While many reporters asked about testing in homes, no one would answer questions about whether or not this type of testing would calm concerns in the area. Gov. Tomblin, however, did say he is not against the idea of testing “a sample” of homes but, does not plan to test all customers affected by the spill.

Update: Just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, Governor Tomblin made this announcement via Twitter:

4. EPA officials are taking a look at research to determine whether chemicals will leave residuals in pipes.

EPA Region 3 Drinking Water Branch Chief Bill Arguto says the goal of a past study done by the agency’s Water Security Division looked to see what chemicals would leave residuals in a water piping system. He says chemicals with low partition coefficients would not leave a residual.

“The two chemicals that are involved here are MCMH (sic) and PPH—have very low partition coefficients. So, it is anticipated that it would not leave a residual. But, it is an issue that we need to look at,” Arguto said.

The studies Arguto spoke of did not take a look at MCHM or PPH, which were the ones involved in the January 9 spill.

5. EPA officials have deemed the site of the leak at Freedom Industries is “stabilized.”

Shawn Garvin, the EPA’s Administrator for Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic) says his agency has been involved in response efforts since day one and the agency had a team on site on January 10. Garvin said the EPA has deemed the site of the leak “stabilized” but expects that the chemical is in the ground there. He also noted that work is underway to empty and dismantle storage tanks.

After Wednesday’s briefing, what questions do you still have about the chemical leak?
 

AUDIO: Gov. Tomblin, CDC, EPA, & State Officials Provide Update on Chemical Spill and Water Crisis

Gov. Tomblin Wednesday afternoon joined members of the state and federal team involved in efforts following the January 9 chemical spill into the Elk…

Gov. Tomblin Wednesday afternoon joined members of the state and federal team involved in efforts following the January 9 chemical spill into the Elk River and water crisis that followed. Tomblin, along with officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as state agencies, provided an update on what has been accomplished, the current status of spill response, and the actions the team plans to take moving forward.

Editor’s Note: Archived audio of the briefing is provided at the top of this post. Please see this post for specificinformation on what was relayed during the briefing.

CDC, EPA Officials Coming to Visit W.Va. After Chemical Spill

Officials from the federal agency that helped determine when people could use their water again will be visiting Charleston. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on…

Officials from the federal agency that helped determine when people could use their water again will be visiting Charleston.
 
     Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on Wednesday will give officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention an update on last month’s chemical spill. Environmental Protection Agency officials will join them.
 
     After the Jan. 9 chemical spill, the CDC created a scale that determined when 300,000 affected West Virginians could safely use their water. Days after a water-use ban was lifted, the agency then said pregnant women should avoid drinking the water.
 
     State and federal officials have called for more transparency from the CDC about its conclusions.
 
     Many residents remain wary of drinking or cooking with the water, though the nine-county region is clear to use it.

Grand Jury Heard W.Va. DEP Workers on Chemical Spill

An official says two state air quality employees have appeared in front of a federal grand jury about the West Virginia chemical spill.
 
     State Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Tom Aluise confirmed Tuesday that they testified several weeks ago in Beckley.
 
     Aluise did not provide further details.
 
     U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin’s office announced an investigation into the Jan. 9 spill the day after it occurred.
 
     Goodwin says 15 to 20 agents from the FBI and Environmental Protection Agency were at Freedom Industries on Jan. 28. The officials spent the day investigating the inside of the tank that leaked and other components of the Freedom facility.
 
     Several other state and federal agencies are looking into the spill from the company that contaminated 300,000 people’s running water for days.
 

Video: U.S. Senate Hearing on W.Va. Chemical Spill

Watch video of the U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing testimony on the West Virginia chemical spill held February 4.

 
 The Committee on Environment and Public Works’ water and wildlife subcommittee convened Tuesday on the spill that left 300,000 people without clean water for days.
 
Scheduled to testify:

  • West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant
  • West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Randy Huffman
  • Natural Resources Defense Council official Erik Olson
  • Putnam Public Service District General Manager Michael McNulty
  • Lawyer Richard O. Faulk
  • Vice President of Government Affairs, International Liquid Terminals Association Peter Weaver

Senator Jay Rockefeller:

“Industry will resist any new regulations or stronger enforcement measures.  It’s an isolated incident in West Virginia, they will argue.” 

“Agencies in charge of oversight do not need more resources, some will claim.  In fact, Republicans have purposely sought to starve certain agencies of funding so they cannot do their job adequately.  We continue to pay a price for this cynical strategy, ” Rockefeller added.

Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito:

Capito criticized the CDC for giving the “all clear” threshold of 1 parts per million of MCHM in the water and then advising pregnant women not to consume the water if levels were detected at all. She also took issue with the frequency that information was passed along to the public throughout the ordeal.

“The other thing is this slow bleed of misinformation. It comes out first that you can drink the water, maybe not, then a week later – it might have even been more than a week later – it comes out that there was not just one chemical in the water, of MCHM, there was another chemical that in the water at the same time that was leaked into the Kanawha Valley,” said Capito.

Senator Joe Manchin:

Manchin touted a bill moving through the U.S. Senate in response to the spill known as the Chemical Safety and Drinking Water Protection Act. The bill is co-sponsored by Rockefeller, as well as Sen. Barbara Boxer of California.

“Our bill would require regular state inspections of all above ground chemical storage facilities and more frequent inspections of those facilities located near drinking water sources,” said Manchin at the hearing. 

“It sets minimum federal standards that chemical facilities must meet – including construction and leak detection requirements, fail safe containment standards, the development of emergency response plans, and financial responsibility requirements.”

Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin of Mayland says he thinks the bill has a “pretty good” chance of passing. But House Speaker John Boehner has said there are enough regulations on the books.

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold its counterpart hearing in Charleston on Feb. 10. The committee includes two West Virginia members. They are the committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Nick Rahall, and Republican Shelley Moore Capito.
 

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