State of emergency in West Virgina - Chemical spill (affecting 9 counties).

reply to post by antar


Why? Why would Obama the big government president, cover for BP and back the unregulated state of W. Virginia? So he is a BIG government president, who saves BIG corporations, protects unregulated states....OH GOD he's a REPUBLICAN in disguise!

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow


I've heard some stories (about the coal mining as well as Appalachians from a friend a long time ago). Didn't Steven Seagal make a movie about illegal dumping in that part of the Country? It was supposed to be based on facts. I would have thought by now - with this being so out in the open things would have tightened up.

I read within the next few days people would get a lift on the no water use. I can only imagine how many are missing a shower at this point, frustrated by how difficult it is to do dishes and cook, etc.. We're so accustomed to having water at our fingertips so I hope people are coping well.

Someone said Obama had an issue with the coal industry. I'm thinking that regulating might be a good thing. I don't know a lot about it (headed off to sleep now), but am I wrong on that? I hate to see the Feds get more of a foothold anywhere but if the State won't do it maybe the Feds need to.

reply to post by Dianec


I think Steven Seagal's movie was based on KY. As far as doing away with coal; What would take it's place? Nuclear? No thank you. Clean coal is possible. Think about the thousands of families who work in coal. What will become of them? Nobody seems to care about that. I'm all for a cleaner environment, and I think coal companies and chemical companies alike should be monitored/inspected closely so that things like this don't happen very often.

GogoVicMorrow
reply to post by whitewave

 

I personally don't see why churches, police, and others can't hand out the water. Why is FEMA and that National Guard required?

What a strange statement. Why would churches be involved in emergency response? So they are supposed to hand out grapejuice and wafers on Sunday and keep water buffalos in case of an emergency?

This is what the NG does. This is what we pay them for, this is what they are trained for. Why WOULDN'T they be there?

boncho
I believe it will take only around 5 days for the majority of it to dissipate. If you consumed enough to worry about, you'd know it. Besides that it seems like action on behalf of the National Guard should mitigate any risks.

www.wunderground.com...

13th, and many have water services ready to go.

I understand there are multiple lawsuits already being filed?

Are there any indicators that wildlife has also been affected?

UPDATE

Apparently the water ban has been partially lifted (4 of 10 counties). The leak has made it's way down river and into the Ohio, but they aren't banning water usage in Ashland Kentucky because it is apparently only trace amounts. This further illustrates how poorly this was handled and how the government plays fast and loose with peoples health.

So you can drink the water in Charleston again.. if you want to.

I imagine it was rushed and the thinking was still the old "dilution is the solution" which is an outdated ideology from before the clean water act.

reply to post by boncho


The water is back on in 4 out of 10 counties, but it was rushed to downplay the incident. The company at fault wouldn't even respond. They will be sued due to major negligence. They containment wall was in need of over a million dollars in repairs. It should have never gotten to that point. So if they keep their contract that guarantees another incident in the future.

Yes you were correct about how quickly the water was back on, but it shouldn't be and people aren't advised to begin drinking it again if it can be avoided. The chemical is still thick in the water and air. It has traveled down the Ohio and is now showing up in tests in Ashland Ky.

reply to post by nixie_nox


Not at all a strange statement if you understand what is written. I didn't mean to imply that the hoard water and preparations for an emergency. I simply meant that they would be the prime candidates to hand out the supplies that are shipped in.

Not odd at all if you thought about it for a second.

reply to post by Dianec


Haha I am not sure about Steven. I do know that Sonny Landham (spelling) from Predator went to the same local college. I would always see him flirting with girls and giving out his website. When you went there it went (in a deep manly voice) "This is Sonny Landham . com!"

There are HUGE problems from the coal industry in West Virginia. There was a big fight with a holding pool that held toxic waste in a giant pool that sat directly above an elementary school and was blamed for making children sick (not to mention the fear of it flooding down on them.

There are hundreds of horror stories in WV. Plus you know all about the miners that died there in the last decade or so.

reply to post by Fylgje


I personally think it's time to move to thorium reactors and cheap solar panels.

In the last decade we have nearly fried out country (our water) with oil, nuclear, and coal.

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow


But realistically, wouldn't it take hundreds of acres of solar panels to support a city the size of Charleston? I just don't think any of the alternatives are much better, or realistic at the moment. I could be wrong, though.

All the rivers in the area are polluted from big industry, not just the coal industry. The effects are far reaching. All the fish in the fresh water rivers and most the lakes around there are so high in mercury and other stuff that it is 'safe' to only eat about 1 fish a year. The damage has been done and will continue to be done. There is a bill that recently just passed in the house that will enable big business to not adhere to the Clean Water Act and not be liable for cleaning up their spills.

It is sad to watch a once pristine land become a toxic wasteland in my lifetime. Not much one person can do to stop the machine.

reply to post by Fylgje


I honestly believe that if we put efforts into the technology and start using all roof space for solar we could do it.
It will take time money and a good transition, but so much exposed areas are wasted for the sake of aesthetic. All those roofs and walls. Every building has a roof so every building has the ability to power itself and probably even put leftover energy back into the grid.

Also thorium nuclear power is much safer it just costs more so they wont use it. I believe they are starting to look into it more. Charleston has a nuclear plant as well.

Which plant are you saying is a nuclear plant in Charleston?

GogoVicMorrow

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The West Virginia National Guard is working hard to get supplies to those affected by the water contamination.

Nine counties are currently under a state of emergency after a chemical leak in Kanawha County Thursday morning.

A plane was sent to Martinsburg as soon as the state of emergency was declared.

The plane plans to connect with FEMA and have a full supply of water available by Friday morning.

Members of the national guard tell WSAZ.com that they are always prepared for these types of emergencies.

"This is the same thing that we have done before we did it during the Derecho, we did it during Sandy, this is what we train for it's not two weeks a year or one weekend a month this is what train for to happe

State of emergency in West Virgina - Chemical spill (affecting 9 counties).

I am a few miles from the West Virgina state line. A state of emergency has been declared by Governer Tomblin after a chemical spill on the Elk River has gotten into the water supply. A spill of 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol leaked into the Elk River and has spread through the water supply in up to 9 counties (Kanawha, Cabell, Boone, Putnam, Lincoln, Logan, Clay, Roane and Jackson). Apparently the leak was discovered after a licorice smell was noticed.

We knew about it several hours ago when the warning went out to five counties, but it has made it to national news in the last hour or so. 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol is apparently a foaming agent used in cleaning coal (i may need to be corrected on that). Citizens are warned not to drink or even come in contact with the water (no bathing, brushing teeth, etc). The Army National guard is bringing water to the affected areas which. Around 300,000 people in those affected areas.


The original warning only went out to five counties and because of that many people in surrounding counties have ingested the contaminated water. I know three people that have ingested the water. One friend posted on facebook that she was drinking a glass of water and thought it tasted like cough syrup and another co worker noticed the same thing. Another friend had used it to make coffee. Since then the alert has been expanded from the five original counties to four others (nine total).

National news source: FOX News

edit on 10-1-2014 by GogoVicMorrow because: (no reason given)

It has begun. I will be going to the store tomorrow to load up on emergency water..

reply to post by Sevnuvnine


Unless I've missed something, there are none.
www.nrc.gov...
The WV state code has forbidden nuclear power plants because of the unnecessary hazards they pose to the health and safety of the people of West Virginia. The code also presents the fact that there is not yet an effective method to safely dispose of the radioactive wastes that nuclear plants emit.

I didn't think so. They have started lifting the ban by zones here, asking the people to begin flushing their lines. It is taking days. People that were in the good zone two days ago are still complaining of a smell to the water, itchy skin and nausea. My family has not been called to flush our lines yet. When we do, we will still not use the water. I don't trust it, and health officials here in WV are not signing off on the water being safe, only taking WV American Water's word for it. Bad things are going to follow, people.

I hope people and the water supply are recovering in the areas affected by the spill. It sounds terrible. Given how the company responsible for the spill has responded (not), maybe this next news is not surprising. The company has moved the rest of their chemicals to another site now. Wait till you hear the details:

Water Contaminating Chemical Company Has Violations at a Second Site

State inspectors say that Freedom Industries, the chemical company that poisoned the water supply of 300,000 West Virginians last week, has been improperly storing the same chemicals at a second site.

...Freedom Industries — "a full-service producer of specialty chemicals for the mining, steel, and cement industries" — moved its chemicals to a site in Nitro, a small town along the Kanawha River. But when state inspectors visited the backup facility, they found five major violations.

A department report described the site's secondary containment as "deteriorated or nonexistent." It described a building with holes in its walls at floor level and a trench surrounding the structure that lets stormwater mix with spilled chemicals.

Department spokesman Tom Aluise said the ditch eventually drains into the river...

SOURCE: Gawker

It almost boggles the mind to hear this after what just happened.

Update:

news.cincinnati.com...

The chemical has made it to the Ohio river. Next is the Mississippi.