A top state senator wants West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to use $10 million in reserves for health monitoring after chemicals spilled into 300,000 people’s water supply.
Senate Majority John Unger wants the governor to tap into the state’s rainy day fund for the program. The last-resort fund of about $915 million is considered one of the nation’s strongest.
The Berkeley County Democrat says county health officials, such as Dr. Rahul Gupta of Kanawha County, should help administer the monitoring. Gupta has said health tracking is needed after people had contact with the little-known chemical, crude MCHM.
Little toxicity information is available about the chemicals that spilled Jan. 9. They were not considered hazardous by federal standards.
A Tomblin spokeswoman didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment Friday.
Tag: Health & Science
DEP Orders Fayette County Waste Pit Shutdown, Renews Well Permit
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has renewed a permit for an underground injection well in Fayette County that accepts fracking water and other waste.
A public hearing in 2013 brought concerned residents and former workers of Danny Webb Construction, the owner of the site. Residents have been concerned about the site for years.
The DEP renewed the permit on February 6 for a class two UIC, or underground injection control disposal well owned by Danny Webb Construction. The permit allows the company to accept fluids from oil and gas exploration, development drilling, and production fluids for another five years, although during the renewal process, the company could accept the waste anyway.
The permit was granted with the condition that the company close a waste pit and no longer use it. The pit is located near the underground well and was used to help remove sediments from the waste before injecting underground.
The DEP ordered the pit closed after the operator failed to submit a plan to bring the pit up to code. Although the DEP did not find the pit to be leaking, officials say it needed to be upgraded.
Underground Injection Control Permit Reviewer for the DEP Office of Oil and Natural Gas James Peterson says the pit needs a leak detection system and a new liner.
DEP is asking DWC to submit an engineered plan to properly close the pit.
The renewal comes despite opposition letters from several national and local environmental groups.
This pit and the well have received waste from Pennsylvania, Virginia and other parts of West Virginia.
The DEP says there are 54 non-commercial and 17 commercial disposal wells in the state as of late last year.
W.Va. Attorney General Targets Two Stores Over Water Price Gouging
West Virginia’s attorney general is accusing a convenience store company of illegally raising water prices while running water was unusable after a chemical spill.
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed the enforcement action Friday in Putnam County Circuit Court, claiming Mid Valley Mart more than doubled prices for one-gallon water jugs to $3.39 at two Hurricane stores. The complaint also says one customer paid more than $40 for 12 one-gallon jugs.
The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, reimbursement to customers and fines in excess of $5,000 per violation.
Store owner Achraf Assi declined comment.
It’s illegal in West Virginia to raise prices on essential products and services by more than 10 percent in a state of emergency.
The Jan. 9 spill spurred a tap water-use ban for days for 300,000 West Virginians.
Shutdowns, Shoveling, and Sleighriding: A W.Va. Winter Story
Several public school systems across the state remained closed Friday. It was the same story at several universities and colleges. Some West Virginians are still digging out of a deep snow that fell over Wednesday and Thursday.
Preliminary totals from the National Weather Service include more than a foot in the Eastern Panhandle and Southern West Virginia. American Electric Power’s website showed minor outages during the storm. Governor Tomblin urged residents to stay home unless absolutely necessary. Still, the deep snow created slick conditions treacherous for driving and a workout to shovel but perfect for sleigh riding.
Students at Concord University enjoyed a day off as did Mercer County public schools, so residents quickly flocked to campus to enjoy a Concord tradition. Listen to the audio file above to hear West Virginians shovels, plow and even slide through the snow day.
Jessica Lilly can be reached at 304.384.5981, or by email jlilly@wvpublic.org. You can also follow her on twitter: @WVJessicaYLilly.
For updates from West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s statewide news team, follow @wvpubnews.
W.Va. Shovels Out of Snowstorm
Some parts of West Virginia are buried by more than a foot of snow as a winter storm barrels across the state. The National Weather Service (NWS) is…
Some parts of West Virginia are buried by more than a foot of snow as a winter storm barrels across the state. The National Weather Service (NWS) is calling for an additional accumulation of two to four inches throughout the day in several counties in the southern part of the state.
Preliminary snowfall totals from the (NWS) include 18 inches in Mount Storm, 15 inches in Jefferson County, more than 14 inches in Ronceverte, and 16 inches in Athens.
Residents across the state are shoveling out from the winter storm although snowfall is expected through the day.
Winter storm warnings remain in effect across the state through Thursday afternoon.
The continued snowfall is creating challenges for road crews to keep up with clearing just main roads. As mentioned in the following tweet, the WVDOT is bringing out large equipment for snow removal in some parts of the state.
Bringing out the big equipment in Randolph County! Stay safe out there! pic.twitter.com/mCTO9k7W1g
— WVDOT (@WVDOT) February 13, 2014
The West Virginia Department of Transportation’s website shows conditions on interstates and other major highways are fair to hazardous with concerns of blowing and drifting snow.
Governor Tomblin is urging residents to stay home unless absolutely necessary.
Public school systems in 50 of the state’s 55 counties are closed Thursday, along with several public and private colleges and universities.
Some counties have already closed for Friday.
Power Crews Ready for Winter Storm
Power crews are moving into the region along with the latest winter storm.In a release, Appalachian Power said nearly 100 contractors and employees moved…
Power crews are moving into the region along with the latest winter storm.
In a release, Appalachian Power said nearly 100 contractors and employees moved into areas expected to experience the most severe effects of the storm.
Phil Wright, Appalachian Power’s vice president of distribution operations said in the release that colder temperatures and a lack of wind are expected to work in the power company’s favor to limit wide-spread outages.
Wright said about 32 contractors will be staged in Princeton, strategically located to respond where needed on Thursday. Sixty line mechanics are in the Roanoke area, where some of the heaviest snow is predicted.
If the additional help is not needed once the storm passes,extra crews will remain on standby to assist other utilities.
Preparing for an outage
AEP says customers should charge cell phones and have a mobile charger for their automobiles.
Customers can prepare for outages by assembling an emergency kit to include:
- flashlights
- fresh batteries
- battery-powered radios or televisions
- candles, matches, or lighters
- water for drinking and cooking
- portable heater (oil or gas)
- camping equipment (sleeping bags, camp stoves, lanterns)
- canned goods and a manual can opener
- manufacturers’ instructions for power-operated equipment such as the garage door