W. Va. Gov Declares Emergency After Chemical Spill January 9th, 2014

Interesting, no mention of what spilled or how ?
ABC 40

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A list of West Virginia customers being asked to avoid using water is growing because of a chemical spill into the Elk River in Charleston. West Virginia American Water expanded its advisory from five to eight counties Thursday night. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has declared a state of emergency, telling the company’s customers in those areas not to drink, bathe, cook or wash clothes in the water and to only use it for flushing. The company’s do-not-use advisory now includes the counties of Kanawha, Boone, Clay, Jackson, Lincoln, Logan, Putnam and Roane.

8 Counties...Found out it is

The station said the chemical leaked from a tank at Freedom Industries in Charleston. The leaked product is 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, which is used in the froth flotation process of coal washing and preparation, according to WSAZ.

US News

And this too?

State regulators are investigating a tank explosion at a drilling site in Tyler County that injured a worker. Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Tom Aluise told media outlets that investigators suspect vapors inside the tank ignited somehow, according to a report published by The Associated Press. The explosion occurred last week at Jay-Bee Oil & Gas' Lisby well, about six miles southeast of Middlebourne. Aluise said the explosion injured one Baker Hughes employee who was on-site during hydraulic fracturing operations. He said Jay-Bee suspended the operations last Friday. A cleanup of soil contaminated by the explosion is continuing. Read More at: www.wtov9.com...

NBC news 9

Drinking water price just went up ?

W.Va. gov declares emergency after chemical spill By JOHN RABY Associated Press US Video Buy AP Photo Reprints CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- A list of West Virginia customers being asked to avoid using water is growing because of a chemical spill into the Elk River in Charleston. West Virginia American Water expanded its advisory from five to eight counties Thursday night. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has declared a state of emergency, telling the company's customers in those areas not to drink, bathe, cook or wash clothes in the water and to only use it for flushing. The company's do-not-use advisory now includes the counties of Kanawha, Boone, Clay, Jackson, Lincoln, Logan, Putnam and Roane. Customers in nine other counties are unaffected. There have been no immediate reports of illnesses from the spill. State Department of Education spokeswoman Liza Cordeiro says schools in at least five of the counties will be closed on Friday. © 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Same copy ? AP

Media outlets report the chemical leaked from a tank at Freedom Industries and overran a containment area on Thursday. The amount that spilled isn't immediately known. A chemical smell was in the air.

Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Tom Aluise says the chemical is used in the coal preparation process.

fox

Still doesn't list the chemical name.



Found it! Link

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency for five counties as a result of the spill of 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol, a chemical used in the coal industry.

Human Toxicity Excerpts:
/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Short term exposure: Methylcyclohexanol can affect you when breathed in and by passing through your skin. Irritates the eyes and the skin. High levels of the vapor may cause irritation of eyes and upper respiratory tract. Repeated or prolonged exposure can cause headaches, irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, and can also cause a skin rash. High exposures from skin contact or inhalation may cause damage to the heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs, and may result in death. Long term exposure: repeated or prolonged contact with skin may cause skin rash.

Link

This is the area in which I live, all we are allowed to do is use the toilet and use the water to fight fires. There is no bottled water left at any of the stores around me. I will be able to at least use some of my stocked water. We have been told that it could take anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days until the water is good to use again.
Everyone is freaking out of course.

The chemical puts out a licorice kind of smell and if you drink it, it is supposed to burn your mouth and throat. If you wash your hands or bathe in the water it will irritate your skin. It also causes stomach pain and vomiting if ingested. It is not something that can be fixed with a boil alert. This is all from the local TV news.

I found it here

www.wvgazette.com...

The chemical that leaked into the river from Freedom Industries was 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, DEP spokesman Tom Aluise said.

Freedom Industries produces "freeze conditioning agents, dust control palliatives, flotation reagents [and] water treatment polymers," among other chemicals, according to its website. Freedom Industries officials, including the company's president, Dennis Farrell, did not return repeated phone calls Thursday.

Earlier in the day, some emergency officials were saying they had found little information about potential toxic effects of the substance. One material-safety data sheet, or MSDS, said, "no specific information is available . . . regarding the toxic effects of this material for humans.

"However, exposure to any chemical should be kept to a minimum," the MSDS said. "Skin and eye contact may result in irritation. May be harmful if inhaled or ingested."

reply to post by tport17


Found this MSDS Methylcyclohexane (not methanol)
MSDS

Cyclohexane, methyl- (cas 108-87-2) MSDS
Download
Download
1.
1.1
IDENTIFICATION OF THE SUBSTANCE/MIXTURE AND OF THE COMPANY/UNDERTAKING
Product identifiers
Product name
Product Number
Brand
Index-No.
CAS-No.
:
:
:
:
:
Methylcyclohexane
259691
Anonymous-Anonymous
601-018-00-7
108-87-2
1.2
Relevant identified uses of the substance or mixture and uses advised against
Identified uses
:
Laboratory chemicals, Manufacture of substances
2.
2.1
2.2
HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION
Classification of the substance or mixture
Classification according to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 [EU-GHS/CLP]
Flammable liquids (Category 2)
Aspiration hazard (Category 1)
Skin irritation (Category 2)
Specific target organ toxicity - single exposure (Category 3)
Chronic aquatic toxicity (Category 2)
Classification according to EU Directives 67/548/EEC or 1999/45/EC
Highly flammable. Harmful: may cause lung damage if swallowed. Irritating to skin. Vapours may cause
drowsiness and dizziness. Toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic
environment.
Label elements
Labelling according Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 [CLP]
Pictogram
Signal word
Hazard statement(s)
H225
H304
H315
H336
H411
Danger
Highly flammable liquid and vapour.
May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways.
Causes skin irritation.
May cause drowsiness or dizziness.
Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Precautionary statement(s)
P210
P261
P273
P301 + P310
P331
Supplemental Hazard
Keep away from heat/sparks/open flames/hot surfaces. - No smoking.
Avoid breathing dust/ fume/ gas/ mist/ vapours/ spray.
Avoid release to the environment.
IF SWALLOWED: Immediately call a POISON CENTER or doctor/
physician.
Do NOT induce vomiting.
none
Statements
According to European Directive 67/548/EEC as amended.
Hazard symbol(s)
R-phrase(s)
R11
R38
R51/53
R65
R67
S-phrase(s)
S9
S16
S33
S61
S62
Highly flammable.
Irritating to skin.
Toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long-term adverse effects in the
aquatic environment.
Harmful: may cause lung damage if swallowed.
Vapours may cause drowsiness and dizziness.
Keep container in a well-ventilated place.
Keep away from sources of ignition - No smoking.
Take precautionary measures against static discharges.
Avoid release to the environment. Refer to special instructions/ Safety
data sheets.
If swallowed, do not induce vomiting: seek medical advice immediately
and show this container or label

With this Christi thing all over the place, my first thought was, "Now who's pissed off at who"?

Seriously, I hope anyone in the area stays safe.

reply to post by RickKilgannon


I'm glad you have some water stocked up. You would think the County would be giving bottled water away with this happening. My concern - what happens to those who may not be able to get the alert? I had a family member die due to a chemical spill because he was in a remote area and no one informed him. He was breathing it in and didn't know. They need to shut everyone's water off to assure they know.

Yikes, I hope this is remedied soon...if that's possible.

And what of the wildlife? The fish in the river and the animals that drink from it? How far downstream will this get before it is diluted?

RickKilgannon
This is the area in which I live, all we are allowed to do is use the toilet and use the water to fight fires. There is no bottled water left at any of the stores around me. I will be able to at least use some of my stocked water. We have been told that it could take anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days until the water is good to use again.
Everyone is freaking out of course.

The chemical puts out a licorice kind of smell and if you drink it, it is supposed to burn your mouth and throat. If you wash your hands or bathe in the water it will irritate your skin. It also causes stomach pain and vomiting if ingested. It is not something that can be fixed with a boil alert. This is all from the local TV news.

edit on R162014-01-09T20:16:40-06:00kK16Thursday8pm1 by RickKilgannon because: (no reason given)

Best wishes, my people hail from Roane County. This is precisely why regulation (with inspections and consequences) is necessary and don't tell me that 'the holy market' will fix this kind of malfeasance.

West Virginia has been seeing the brunt of 'deregulation' for thiry years and ruthless exploitation prior to that.

Best wishes....

Sometimes I think that someone here WANTS our water supplies to be poisoned.

reply to post by donlashway


I am in the area of the spill. It was 4-methylcyclohexane methanol. Several of my friends drank contaminated water when the warning was limited to 5 counties, now it is extended to 9 (and one friend was in a county that still isnt listed, but described the same taste as the two that drank water that were in listed counties. They all said it tasted like cough syrup.).

thread

The National Guard is coming to the area to bring bottled water apparently.

How did this spill get into the drinking water of such a widespread area so quickly?

Up until now, even a doctor wasn't allowed to tell the public what the chemicals are that are used in frakking... we know one of them now.

How quickly easily it is to poison the masses. Everyone should be demanding answers, and OH, by the way, quit paying your water bill until this is cleared up.

I have been noticing this for a while now on Earthscope

37.3483 -82.593 - 0 22:03:58 January 9th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.7394 -82.056 - 0 21:51:09 January 9th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.5009 -82.6906 - 0 21:46:10 January 9th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.8484 -82.1054 - 0 21:10:02 January 9th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
38.039 -81.6676 - 0 20:58:43 January 9th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
38.12 -81.3866 - 0 20:45:33 January 8th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.9061 -81.2951 2.6 ml 12 22:25:20 January 7th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.4925 -82.7348 2.4 ml 0 22:14:07 January 7th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.7713 -82.1263 2.3 ml 0 21:55:35 January 7th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.0736 -82.1745 2.2 ml 0 21:41:01 January 7th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.3483 -82.6078 2.4 ml 0 21:10:43 January 7th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.7743 -82.0681 2.2 ml 0 22:00:26 January 6th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.7387 -82.1077 2.3 ml 0 21:55:58 January 6th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.8154 -82.1601 2.4 ml 0 21:27:02 January 6th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
38.009 -81.2435 2.3 ml 0 20:36:01 January 6th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
38.0168 -81.6741 2.3 ml 0 17:12:44 January 6th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.4418 -81.5944 2.4 ml 0 20:22:05 January 4th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.5597 -82.1363 2.4 ml 0 18:01:07 January 4th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.5358 -82.7859 2.5 ml 0 15:45:10 January 4th, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
38.2099 -81.8109 2.4 ml 0 22:05:39 January 3rd, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.7748 -82.074 2.6 ml 0 21:55:27 January 3rd, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
38.0731 -81.6666 2.5 ml 0 21:07:06 January 3rd, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
38.091 -82.008 2.6 ml 0 17:27:22 January 3rd, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.9227 -81.2733 2.6 ml 0 21:56:34 January 2nd, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
38.0856 -81.4017 2.5 ml 0 21:44:44 January 2nd, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.8103 -81.7292 2.4 ml 0 21:41:03 January 2nd, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.5109 -82.1048 2.1 ml 0 14:58:39 January 2nd, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.2489 -81.4723 2.2 ml 0 21:28:06 January 1st, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.9287 -81.3331 2.4 ml 0 19:23:07 January 1st, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
37.4973 -82.1014 1.9 ml 0 17:15:56 January 1st, 2014 UTC West Virginia, Eastern North America
and that is just back to Jan 1, not sure if anyone has been feeling any of these?

reply to post by butcherguy


Butcherguy,
I included the fracking spill early in the post before they came out with information of what the spill was.
I left it because I don't like fracking. Sorry didn't mean to mislead and you know that's all cleaned up, totally
safe....

reply to post by whatnext21


interesting, looks like they are all listed as surface quakes or blast ?
Need the EQ specialist...
frost heaves?

reply to post by donlashway


These go way back before the cold weather, try the archives for more.

reply to post by whatnext21


Seems close to a town. Not sure what they could possibly be surface blasting in the area either. Could be an underground mine though.



Eta - Aha, one of the coordinates produced this,



Looks like some mining or quarrying activity.

reply to post by Doodle19815


I am leaning more to fracking as the cause, maybe maybe not, whatever the source fracking can't be good for any of us

Here is a map of fracking locations for some states. FracMapper

reply to post by butcherguy


It is isn't used for fracking, it is used to prep coal.