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CHARLESTON, West Virginia, February 7, 2014 (ENS) – Crude MCHM, one of two chemicals that leaked into West Virginia’s Elk River last month, was detected in the water supply of George Washington High School this morning, according to Kanawha-Charleston Health Department officials, weeks after the water was declared safe to use.

But Nassandra Wright, the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department’s head sanitarian, said the school’s results are below the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation of one-part-per-million.

George Washington is the latest of more than a dozen Charleston schools to be affected by water contaminated by the January 9 spill of the coal-cleaning chemical from a Freedom Industries tank, just upstream from the West Virginia American Water utility, which supplies drinking water to Charleston.

A Do Not Use the water order issued January 9 affected more than 300,000 residents in nine counties, but after 10 days the water was declared safe to drink. Still, reports of water contamination keep flowing in to state officials.

Water systems at the five schools were re-flushed and re-tested; the levels of Crude MCHM then fell below both the federal recommendation and the stricter state standard.

But this morning the tell-tale licorice odor was back, and students and staff reported symptoms that included burning eyes, light-headedness and headaches.

Three schools in Charleston closed early Thursday after chemical odors were detected in their tap water. Dr. Rahul Gupta, head of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, said the county received complaints from a total of 14 schools.

On Wednesday federal officials again declared the water to be safe. “You can drink it. You can bathe in it,” said Dr. Tanja Popovic, acting director of the National Center for Environmental Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. “You can use it how you like.”

The assurance came in a joint federal-state agency news conference called to provide a detailed update regarding the Elk River chemical spill.

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, a Republican, told reporters at the event, “Like you and all of the 300,000 West Virginians I am frustrated and angry. I share your concerns about the water crisis, as does my team here in West Virginia, the national experts we have depended upon for guidance and the federal partners who are standing with me today.”

“This event is most important a public health issue AND it is also an environmental and economic development issue,” said Tomblin, who declared a State of Emergency after the spill. “I am committed to creating and retaining good West Virginia jobs. We must do this and have clean water and a healthy environment. It is not an either or proposition.”

But even Governor Tomblin is not 100 percent convinced that the water is safe to drink. He has told residents that the decision of whether or not to use the water is a personal, individual matter.

After he made that announcement, news broke that crude MCHM can break down into formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

Charleston Mayor Danny Jones told reporters this week, “There is no answer as to when the citizens of this valley and all these nine counties can affect this nightmare to end. And it has devastated this area in a way which is indescribable. Everything is closing.”

“And that means the Marriott Hotel. That means our Town Center Mall. No restaurant is allowed to open because you can’t legally open without water. And it’s been devastating for our area. People are in their homes. The schools are closed. You’re not supposed to take showers and certainly not supposed to drink the tap water,” said Jones.

A federal grand jury has started a criminal investigation into the chemical spill in West Virginia, looking into the activities of Freedom Industries and the West Virginia American Water Company.

On January 30, the National Science Foundation awarded $150,000 in Rapid Response Research grants to teams at three universities to investigate the spill.

“This is one of the largest human-made environmental disasters in this century. In instances such as this, where the situation is still developing and public health is involved, timing is everything,” said William Cooper, program director in NSF’s division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems, which funded the research grants. “RAPID grants give researchers the support they need to be on the ground and to collect data immediately.”

Andrew Whelton of the University of South Alabama will examine the chemical’s absorption into and removal from plastic drinking water pipes, focusing mainly on houses. “One of the concerns in this spill is authorities have little to no information about exactly what this chemical does to drinking water plumbing systems,” said Whelton. “Chemicals tend to absorb more into plastic pipes than metal pipes. Plastic pipes can act as a sponge, sucking up chemicals.”

Water towers and storage tanks can be lined with polymer materials, including epoxy linings. These linings may absorb organic chemicals and then release them to later contaminate the water, he said. http://ens-newswire.com/2014/02/07/west-virginias-water-nightmare-clos
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The blank invoices contain spaces for money spent on bottled water, gas to go buy bottled water, replacing home water filters, hand sanitizer and disposable plates and utensils, among other things.

There are also spaces to estimate the cost of lost wages and profits from when businesses closed, child care services when kids were not in school, sewage bills from flushing pipes and tax dollars spent on responding to the emergency.

At a legislative hearing on Thursday evening, Jeff McIntyre, president of West Virginia American, was asked if the company would be billing for the period since the water was contaminated.

"Have you ever gone to a restaurant and gotten a bad meal and complained about it?" Delegate Larry Faircloth asked McIntyre. "They don't give you a credit, you typically don't have to pay for it. Do you really believe it's fair to bill your customers?"

McIntyre said that the water crisis was the fault of Freedom Industries, the company that leaked the chemical. He said that since West Virginia American had to continue providing water, and the water was in compliance with all regulations, that the company would continue to bill customers.

Laura Jordan, a West Virginia American Water spokeswoman, confirmed on Saturday that the company will continue to bill as normal. She said customers will see the flushing credit on bills that arrive between now and the second week of March.

Sheridan contended that the lingering smell in the water and the "do not use" orders issued after the leak violated those rules. He urged others to follow his example and file complaints.

"It's the numbers that will make the difference," he said. "If we stand together, that's how we get heard. An individual complaint is going to do very little."

Christine Lee, who lives on the West Side of Charleston, was at the protest with her three sons, 7-year-old twins and a 9-year-old.

She said she would be filing complaints. She said she shouldn't have to pay her water bill until she got, "clean water and some truth. A nice little combo. Put it on the rocks." http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201402080031?page=1

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The Leak Is Detected

January 9: Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin declares a state of emergency after Freedom Industries reported to state officials that one of its chemical storage tanks had been leaking. The company could not say when the leak started or how much had spilled into the Elk River. More than 300,000 people were ordered not to drink or use the water for anything other than flushing the toilet. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources said symptoms of exposure include “severe burning in throat, severe eye irritation, non-stop vomiting, trouble breathing or severe skin irritation such as skin blistering.”

January 10: A press conference held by West Virginia American Water revealed more disconcerting questions than answers, namely that the company and state officials were completely unfamiliar with the spilled chemicals and that no standard process existed for testing the toxicity of the chemicals in water. Without sufficient information, the company was unable to say just how dangerous the diluted chemical is to drink or breathe.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is called in to deliver clean water as residents descended on local stores, creating a scene of “chaos” according to one clerk. Wal-Mart went as far as calling in local police to guard a water delivery.

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announces his office has “opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the release.”

Spill Is Worse Than Estimated

January 12: The spill appears to be much larger than initially estimated, with state environmental officials saying they believe up to 7,500 gallons of crude MCHM leaked into the Elk River.

While Gov. Tomblin called the leak “unacceptable” and opened the door for potential changes in state oversight law, the governor continues to emphasize that the spill was not a coal industry incident. “This was not a coal company, this was a chemical supplier, where the leak occurred,” Tomblin said at a press conference. “As far as I know there was no coal company within miles.”

The Charleston Gazette reports that three years ago, a team of experts with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board “urged the state of West Virginia to help the Kanawha Valley create a new program to prevent hazardous chemical accidents.” The proposal was ignored by state officials.

January 13: West Virginia American Water begins lifting the ‘do not use’ ban by zone, giving residents the green light to begin flushing their systems.

January 14: At a Capitol Hill press conference, U.S. House Speaker John Boehner tells reporters that the federal government shouldn’t do more to protect citizens against future disasters. “We have enough regulations on the books. What the administration ought to be doing is doing their jobs. Why was this plant not inspected since 1991?” What Speaker Boehner failed to mention is that MCHM is one of 64,000 chemicals in use in the U.S. that were grandfathered in to the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), meaning there are no requirements that anyone prove whether or not they are safe.

In the days after the spill, Charleston area residents tell ThinkProgress that they noticed the licorice-like smell characteristic of crude MCHM weeks before Freedom Industries reported the spill to authorities.

January 15: Freedom Industries is cited yet again by the DEP, this time receiving five violations after moving the chemical to a second site that also failed to meet safety standards.

After Ban Is Lifted, More Health Concerns Arise

Residents continue to arrive at local hospitals with symptoms consistent with crude MCHM exposure, as the safety of the water and long-term health impacts remain a mystery. “We’re not saying it’s safe,” Rahul Gupta, health officer for the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, told the Charleston Daily Mail. “West Virginia American Water is saying it’s safe. We are taking their word for it.”

More than two days after the state began lifting the water use ban, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources issues a one-page advisory for pregnant women, based on guidance from the CDC, recommending “out of an abundance of caution” that “pregnant women drink bottled water until there are no longer detectable levels of MCHM in the water distribution system.” Previously, the CDC had said levels of the chemical below 1 part per million was considered safe, but refused repeated requests from the Charleston Gazette regarding the basis for that recommendation.

Freedom Industries Files For Bankruptcy

January 17: Despite the fact that crude MCHM is comprised of six chemicals, the Charleston Gazette reports that a key corporate study used by the CDC to set the 1 ppm safety threshold only tested the main ingredient, 4-MCHM. Thus, nine days after the spill began, residents are still left questioning the safety of their water. “If crude MCHM is truly what leaked, it’s possible that we don’t even know which of this ‘cocktail’ is most harmful,” environmental consultant Evan Hansen told ThinkProgress. “We could have set a threshold based on the wrong one. We may be testing the wrong one.”

On the same day, Freedom Industries files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, raising major questions over how the company will be held fully responsible for the damage caused by the spill and contamination of the water supply.

January 18: Everyone affected by the spill is given the ‘all clear’ to use and drink their tap water as the ban is lifted for the final two percent of customers.

Hospitals report an uptick in chemical-related admissions. According to the Charleston Gazette, health officials said 20 people had been admitted to the hospitals, 411 had been treated and released from the emergency room, and 2,302 had called the poison control center as of January 18, a significant increase from just a few days prior.

Governor Can’t Say Whether Water Is Safe

January 20: While lingering questions about the safety of the water remain, Gov. Tomblin says it’s up to residents to decide whether or not they use the water. “It’s your decision,” Gov. Tomblin told reporters at a press conference. “I’m not going to say absolutely, 100 percent that everything is safe,” he continued. “But what I can say is if you do not feel comfortable, don’t use it.”

Tomblin continues to emphasize the 1 ppm safety threshold, as does West Virginia American Water Company president Jeff McIntyre, who went as far as to drink tap water in front of reporters to underscore his point.

January 21: Twelve days after reporting the initial spill, Freedom Industries discloses to state and federal regulators that an additional chemical, PPH, spilled into the water but declared that the exact identity of the substance is “proprietary,” the Charleston Gazette reported. The CDC “noted that data about the potential health effects of the chemical ‘PPH’ are — like the information on Crude MCHM — ‘very limited.’”

January 22: In the same day that members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee took up legislation to regulate above-ground chemical storage, they also moved forward with a measure that would weaken water protection. “The legislation is a coal industry-backed move to rewrite the way West Virginia calculates its limits for aluminum,” according to the Charleston Gazette.

Freedom Industries claims all leaked substances have now been disclosed.

Freedom Industries Admits To Another Chemical

January 24: The Associated Press reports that Freedom Industries knew about the additional chemical that had leaked into the water on the first day of the spill and didn’t report it to authorities, according to Steve Dorsey with the state’s Department of Environmental Protection. Dorsey told the AP that Freedom informed its employees of the second chemical via email on the first day of the spill, but failed to tell authorities for 12 days.

Two dozen West Virginia scientists write to the EPA and the CDC, calling on the two agencies to allow their scientists to speak to the press and the public without interference.

Rafael Moure-Eraso, Chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, told state legislators that their investigation into the spill could take up to a year. “These chemicals are created in the industry to be reactive and to do chemical work. Even in small quantities, they affect human beings, they have the potential to affect human beings and we should be worried about it,” Moure-Eraso said. “Definitely, they should not be in drinking water period, at any level.”

Amount Of Chemicals Spilled Raised Again

January 25: The Department of Environmental Protection orders the Freedom Industries site to be dismantled and all materials disposed of no later than March 15.

January 27: Freedom Industries now says about 10,000 gallons of a blend of crude MCHM and PPH leaked from their chemical plant into the Elk River, an increase from a previous estimate of 7,500 gallons and initial government estimates of no more than 5,000 gallons.

January 29: Scott Simonton, a Marshall University environmental scientist and member of the state Environmental Quality Board, told a state legislative panel that he had found formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, in local water samples. “It’s frightening, it really is frightening,” Simonton said. “What we know scares us, and we know there’s a lot more we don’t know.”

Governor Asks For More Bottled Water

January 30: As residents remain wary of drinking the tap water, Gov. Tomblin asks West Virginia American Water for an additional 13 tractor-truckloads of bottled water, bringing the company’s contribution to 33 truckloads of water.

January 31: Contractors hit an underground pipe at the Freedom Industries tank farm, “releasing more Crude MCHM and, with it, more of the strong, black-licorice odor into the surrounding air,” the Charleston Gazette reported. Local officials said the chemical mixture was held within a “cutoff trench” and did not make it into the Elk River.

February 1: According to documents and interviews obtained under the state’s public records law, the Charleston Gazette reports that the DEP never reviewed two key pollution-prevention plans for the Freedom Industries site. “DEP officials say that, because the Freedom tank farm’s previous owners had received a DEP water pollution permit decades ago, the site was exempt from a 2004 requirement to provide the plans to the DEP.”

February 4: CNN reports that a federal grand jury has begun its criminal investigation into the spill, issuing the first round of subpoenas.

Chemical Smell Closes Schools

February 5: Two schools were dismissed after reports of the black licorice smell characteristic of crude MCHM. One teacher reportedly fainted, and “several students and employees complained of lightheadedness and burning eyes and noses.”

At a high-profile press conference featuring representatives from multiple state and federal agencies, Gov. Tomblin said that while he can’t tell people its 100 percent safe, he is using the water and has been drinking it “for the last couple weeks,” despite continuing to order bottled water to the state.

Dr. Tanja Popovic, director of the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health, defended the agency’s 1 ppm calculation, saying of the water, “You can bathe in it, you can drink it. You can use it however you’d like.”

Popovic later clarified to the Charleston Gazette that “we’re not really talking about whether water is safe, we’re talking about is the water appropriate for use given the information we know about MCHM.”

Pennsylvania press reports that 3,500 gallons of crude MCHM will be shipped from Freedom Industries site to their state, though officials there likely won’t be told how or where the chemical will be stored.

February 6: Health officials receive complaints from 14 Kanawha County schools after the licorice-like smell characteristic of crude MCHM continues to be detected after the buildings were classified as ‘non-detect’ and allowed to reopen.

Marc Glass, principal with the environmental consulting firm Downstream Strategies, said in an interview with ThinkProgress that the fact that people continue to detect some component of the crude MCHM mixture by its smell shows “our analytical capabilities have limitations.” Therefore, ‘non-detect’ doesn’t mean the water is chemical-free.

February 8: Residents protest West Virginia American Water for continuing to bill them for water while safety remains an unanswered question. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/02/09/3196981/chemical-spill-tim
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