Sheets of black plastic outline the area on the banks of the Elk River where 10,000 gallons of toxic 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) used in the coal processing industry spilled from these storage tanks, owned by Freedom Industries, on Jan. 9 into this tributary of the Kanawha River which cuts through the capitol Charleston. Nearly 300,000 residents from nine counties in the vicinity of Charleston, WV were without water after the spill occurred just upstream from the main West Virginia American Water municipal intake and treatment center. State officials issued a ‘do not drink’ order late
Sheets of black plastic outline the area on the banks of the Elk River where 10,000 gallons of toxic 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) used in the coal processing industry spilled from these storage tanks, owned by Freedom Industries, on Jan. 9 into this tributary of the Kanawha River which cuts through the capitol Charleston. Nearly 300,000 residents from nine counties in the vicinity of Charleston, WV were without water after the spill occurred just upstream from the main West Virginia American Water municipal intake and treatment center. State officials issued a ‘do not drink’ order late in the day after the spill occurred. On Jan. 13, the advisory was lifted but six weeks later, residents and some businesses still continue to use bottled water for drinking and cooking because they do not trust that the water is safe.
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Photo credit: © James Fassinger / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol, chemical, clean, coal, crisis, elk, freedom, hub, industries, industry, mchm, poison, river, safe, spill, toxic, virginia, water, west
