Federal government scientists have released a final update of their study of the January 2014 chemical spill that temporarily fouled the drinking water supplies of 300,000 Charleston-area residents, reporting no significant new findings.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail cited the report Friday as finding “most of the spilled chemicals had no effects in the studies that were performed” after the spill of a coal-cleaning agent at a Freedom Industries site near the Elk River that year.
The work was conducted by the National Toxicology Program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The newspaper said scientists found any potential for negative health effects would only occur at significantly higher doses than residents would have had in their water under a health advisory set up after the spill.
A judge says he wants more information before he’ll approve a class-action settlement stemming from a 2014 chemical spill in West Virginia that contaminated drinking water supplies.
The case involves Kanawha Valley residents and businesses and two former top officials from Freedom Industries.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver told lawyers in the case Friday that he wants more details about the finances of one of the former Freedom officials — longtime company co-owner Dennis Farrell.
The judge also wants more details about whether Farrell and former Freedom President Gary Southern remain targeted in any other lawsuits that also could be settled.
The judge told the attorneys to get back to him about those matters by May 13.
More than $2 million will be distributed to residents and businesses affected by a 2014 chemical spill in West Virginia under a liquidation plan approved by a bankruptcy judge.
Freedom Industries’ plan also will provide $1.4 million to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and environmental firms for continued cleanup work.
A $350,000 initial cash payment will be distributed to unsecured claims, plus future payments from potential recovery sources.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ronald Pearson approved the plan on Tuesday. Pearson’s order says creditors and other parties overwhelmingly approved the plan.
Coal-cleaning chemicals spilled into the Elk River from a Freedom Industries’ tank in Charleston on January 9, 2014. The spill contaminated tap water for more than 300,000 water customers for days.
Appalachia is no stranger to industrial or environmental disasters that affect our water. Because of crumbling water infrastructure in many coalfield communities, folks often turn to bottled water for regular use.
But not all bottled water is equal. At least that’s according to judges at the 25th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting & Competition, which took place February 19-22. The competition judges the taste of bottled water, purified water, and municipal city waters from across the world were judged.
“Well, it’s tragic. What has happened in West Virginia. And two years in a row right before the water tasting, it’s almost ironic,” said Arthur Von Wiesenberger, referring to the timing of last year’s competition, which took place about a month after the Elk River chemical spill. Wiesenberger who has trained the judges at Berkeley Springs every year since the competition started in 1990.
“I guess on the good side, it brings an enormous amount of awareness to the importance of water. And how we take clean pure water for granted until you do have a disaster. And then you do realize that this is something that’s very subject to contamination and to problems.”
Wiesenberger added that throughout the competition’s twenty-five years, some of West Virginia’s water has been judged as the best tasting water in the world.
Credit photo by Cecelia Mason
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The Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting & Competition judges bottled water and municipal water. And guess which city won the best tasting water in the world, back in 1991, and 1993, 1994? Charleston West Virginia.
Yes, that same water, which last year became notorious across the globe for its poisonous taste of liquorice-infused MCHM– that water previously won gold medals at the International Water Tasting Competition.
Credit photo by Cecelia Mason
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And since last year’s chemical spill in Charleston, West Virginia, storekeepers say they’ve seen an increase in the number of bottled water sales.
Volunteers in Kanawha County helped with water distribution during last year’s water crisis that affected the drinking water of 300,000 people.
Allan Hathaway owns the Purple Onion grocery store at the Capitol Market. “Bottled water sales have been up over the last year. A lot of consumers are switching to bottled water, not only because of the water issue but also cutting back on soft drinks.”
The Purple Onion does sell spring water from West Virginia, including water from Sweet Springs in Monroe County.
In previous years, the Sweet Springs water company won four international first-place awards for the best-tasting water at the Berkley Springs Intentional Water Tasting and Competition.
Sweet Springs Valley Water Company is located near the site of one of West Virginia’s historic mineral springs hotels. Before her death, 102-year old Pauline Baker told The Traveling 219 Project what it was like to grow up in Sweet Springs during the 1920s. She described those days gone by, when fine ladies used to bathe in the mineral waters wearing suits down to their knees, and guests from all over the world used to dine in the great Jeffersonian Hall. When the hotel was abandoned during the Great Depression, she said the neighborhood children used to go down to swim in the mineral pools.
Sweet Springs is just one example of the many old springs resorts that used to exist throughout West Virginia. Berkeley Springs is also home to one of those early resorts and is still a popular tourist destinations today. The Greenbrier is another.
However celebrated West Virginia’s water has been throughout the years, this year many overseas companies outranked local water companies in the bottled water categories. 1st place for the best bottled water this year was awarded to Fengari Platinum, Platinum Class Mineral Water, Athens, Greece. Best Sparkling water also went to a Greek company– Daphne-Ultra Premium Quality Natural Mineral Sparkling.
This year one company from W.Va. did win one of the top awards: Lesage Natural Water from Cabell County, West Virginia won the fourth place award for a new category: best purified water. Their water is not taken directly from a spring, like Sweet Springs, but rather is taken from a well and is then put through a filtration system. Lesage is located along the Ohio River.
Ranking just after Lesage for 5th place for the best purified water was Mountain Drop, Linthicum, MD, which bottles water that is shipped from Berkeley Springs.
Another Appalachian winner this year was Halstead Spring Water in East Tennessee, which won third prize for the world’s best bottled water. In 2000, Halstead Spring won the gold medal at the competition. The company’s owner, John Beitz, says that their water business is booming, and they’re looking to expand and hire about one or two new full time employees in the next year. The spring water that they bottle comes directly from a spring, known to locals in Speedwell, TN as “cold spring.” Beitz says the water they sell lives up to that reputation.
Cecelia Mason of Shepherd University contributed to this story. She was one of the judges at this year’s Berkeley Springs Water Tasting and Competition.
As soon as he was made aware of the Freedom Industries' chemical spill and the tap water use ban, Dr. Rahul Gupta said his main concern was the health and…
As soon as he was made aware of the Freedom Industries’ chemical spill and the tap water use ban, Dr. Rahul Gupta said his main concern was the health and safety of the citizens in the affected area.
In January of 2014, Gupta was serving as the Executive Director of the Kanawha Charleston Health Department, a position he held since 2009, and was very vocal when responding to all of the possible health concerns related to the spill.
As an event that threatens public safety unfolds, Gupta said one of the first things public health officials do is look at the data and scientific evidence available to help guide the decision making process. Unfortunately, little was known about the chemical crude MCHM, leaving officials often guessing about the best course of action.
Dr. Gupta said looking back on the water crisis, he does believe state officials did they best they could with the information they had available.
Mike Youngren has lived in Charleston for the last 20 years. A West Virginia Public Broadcasting alum, Youngren pursued filmmaking after retiring. When the January 9th chemical leak happened, Youngren decided the problem was widespread enough for people to stop to pay attention to what he had to say. With this in mind, he decided to develop his documentary, Elk River Blues.
Youngren’s film, Elk River Blues will have its world premiere on Friday, January 9th, at the Culture Center. It is a part of a list of special events occurring that same night commemorating the one year anniversary of a chemical spill into the Elk River near Charleston.
