Tag: Governor Earl Ray Tomblin

Department of Education Says Gov. Tomblin Taking Proactive Steps to Ensure Student Safety

The West Virginia Department of Education said through a news release that they are working with the West Virginia National Guard following a directive from Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. Tomblin has called for additional water testing to confirm that all schools in the counties impacted by the chemical leak on Jan. 9 are under 2 parts per billion (ppb).

 
“We have been testing water in all of our schools at the governor’s more stringent level of 10 parts per billion which is 100 times more rigorous than Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s  recommend level of 1 part per million,” said Adjutant General James Hoyer in the release.

“After testing thousands of lab samples, chemists can now confidently test at 2ppb.  This additional safety factor is one more example of how the governor has gone above and beyond the federal recommendations to bring added confidence to parents, students and staff to ensure the highest level of public safety,” he added.
 
It is expected that the testing will occur over the weekend and results should be back by mid-week. Any school that tests above the two parts per billion will be re-flushed and retested. Moving forward, the Rapid Response Team established earlier this month to address issues in schools will continue to answer and investigate calls.
 
“Student safety continues to be our top priority,” said Gov. Tomblin. “As a parent, I understand that families need the additional peace of mind that comes with this testing.”
 
In the meantime, schools will continue to provide hand sanitizer and bottled water for drinking and cooking, according to the release.

“We are taking every precaution because we know that parents trust us to keep their children safe,” said Jim Phares, West Virginia Superintendent of Schools.

On The Legislature Today on Tuesday, February 18, Phares said he doesn’t know of any plans for the Rapid Response Team, which includes a member of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division Air Quality, to begin testing the air quality in schools.  The smell and fumes in school is what is believed to be linked to symptoms of burning eyes and noses, as well as fainting.

W.Va. Statehouse at Odds on Budget

The House of Delegates and Senate are at odds on how best to balance West Virginia’s budget.
 
Senate propositions to raise sales and cigarette taxes were dismissed by the House in a closed meeting Thursday.
 
Senate President Jeff Kessler said without bills to increase revenue, the Legislature will have to make more budget cuts or dip further into the state’s “rainy day” fund.
 
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s 2015 executive budget already proposed using around $84 million of the $915 million fund. Kessler said without generating more revenue through taxes as much as 25 percent of the fund could be needed to balance the budget.
 
House Speaker Tim Miley said the hesitance for House Democrats to increase taxes has a lot to do with 2014 being an election year.

CDC to Talk with W.Va. About Lab Studies on Spilled Chemicals

Federal health experts say they'll talk with West Virginia officials about what lab studies are needed on little-known chemicals that spilled into a water…

Federal health experts say they’ll talk with West Virginia officials about what lab studies are needed on little-known chemicals that spilled into a water system last month.
 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokeswoman Bernadette Burden said Wednesday the CDC will reach out to the state about possibly conducting more studies.
 
Scientists worked with limited animal research when they quickly crafted a chemical standard used to lift a water-use ban about a month ago.
 
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin sent the CDC a letter Tuesday requesting more toxicology studies from it. He also asked the CDC to analyze health charts from patients admitted with symptoms that could have resulted from chemical contact.

After the spill into the Elk River, 300,000 people were told not to use their water for days.
 

Gov. Tomblin, DHHR Secretary Request CDC to Conduct Further Health Studies After Spill

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Department of Health and Human Resources Secretary Karen Bowling Tuesday sent a letter to Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to formally request the CDC, or its partners, immediately conduct further epidemiological and/or toxicological studies and address ongoing population surveillance or monitoring as a result of the January 9 Elk River chemical spill.

Tomblin and Bowling’s request comes nearly two weeks after Dr. Tanja Popovic of the CDC said that the agency has no plans to monitor the population affected by the chemical spill and subsequent water crisis.

“I am committed to the health and well-being of West Virginians and believe there is a pressing need to further study the potential health effects resulting from exposure to water contaminated with crude MCHM and PPH,” Gov. Tomblin said in a news release.

“It is critical this study is funded and that work begins immediately.”

You can read Gov. Tomblin and Sec. Bowling’s letter here:

Tomblin: State of Emergency to End Soon

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin says he's days away from lifting a state of emergency over last month's chemical spill into a public water…

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin says he’s days away from lifting a state of emergency over last month’s chemical spill into a public water supply.

Tomblin told reporters Tuesday that “in the next several days” he hopes to end the state of emergency, which has lasted almost 41 days. Tomblin said he let the emergency declaration continue partially because of the chemical’s lingering odor from some taps and showers.
 
Tomblin said ending the emergency status would not affect his appeal for more federal assistance for nonprofits and agencies that responded to the crisis. FEMA initially rejected Tomblin’s application for individual reimbursement for spill responders, who provided and distributed water and resources.
 
The Jan. 9 spill contaminated 300,000 residents’ water for days. Many will still only use bottled water.
 

Tomblin Unsure How to Pay for Health Monitoring After Spill

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin says he’s not sure about tapping state reserves to monitor people’s long-term health after chemicals spilled into their water supply last month.
 
Senate Majority Leader John Unger has said Tomblin should use $10 million from the state’s rainy day fund for 10 years of health monitoring. Unger said lawmakers could approve the money, but it’d be easier with Tomblin’s support.
 
Tomblin told reporters Tuesday he would make that decision “down the road.”
 
He is awaiting in-home testing results and research on the chemical’s odor threshold and what levels are safe to consume in drinking water. The Jan. 9 spill contaminated 300,000 people’s water for days.
 
West Virginia’s $915 million last-resort fund is one of the nation’s strongest. Tomblin’s proposed budget uses $83.8 million from the fund.
 

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