On January 9th, 2014, it was reported that a chemical spill has occurred from a storage tank owned by Freedom Industries. The spill occurred on the banks of Elk River in West Virginia, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without tap water. The company first reported that 7500 gallons of the chemicals had spilled into the river through a one-inch whole but had found that two weeks later, there was an estimated 10000 gallons of the toxic chemical in the river. The chemicals released include 4-methylcyclohexane (MCHM) and PPH. Methylcyclohexane is a chemical that is used in coal to reduce the amount of ash it produces(Field & Catherine, 2014). The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection are still calculating the exact amount of how much of the chemicals were spilled.
Freedom Industries is a service provider of specialty industrial chemicals for mining, steel, and cement. The company was founded in 1986 by Gary Southern and Carl L. Kennedy and is also a producer of freeze conditioning agents, water treatment polymers, dust control palliatives and other chemicals (Freedom Industries, 2005). The chemical that was released into the water supply is known as methylcyclohexane (MCHM) and not much is known about the potential health risks of exposure to the chemical.(The Associated Press, 2014). However, there is no guarantee that there are no long term health effects caused by the chemical since regulators do not have adequate data (The Associated Press, 2014).
Those affected by the spill are the residents near Elk River who depend on the river's water supply. Many restaurants, hotels and local businesses are forced to close since residents are not able to access tap water other than for flushing toilets. Locals are fo...
... middle of paper ...
...s Home. Retrieved April 9, 2014 from http://www.freedom-industries.com/home.html
John Raby (2014). Elk River Chemical Spill In West Virginia Prompts State Of Emergency Declaration. Retrieved from, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/09/elk-river-chemical-spill-wv_n_4571408.html
The Associated Press (2014). West Virginia Chemical Spill: Water ban could last days. Retrieved from, http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/west-virginia-chemical-spill-water-ban-could-last-days-1.2493551
Meridith Edwards, Alexandra Field & Shiochet Catherine (2014). West Virginia chemical spill shines spotlight on loose regulation. CNN. Retrieved from, http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/13/us/west-virigina-chemical-contamination
John Raby (2014). W. Va. National Guard set to help distribute water. Yahoo News. Retrieved from, http://news.yahoo.com/w-va-national-guard-set-help-distribute-water-092412829.html
On December 22, 2008 in Roane County, Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston Fossil Plant had a dike rupture releasing more the 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash into the Emory River. There were no recorded deaths or serious injuries , but the surrounding ecosystem was affected severely. The ash slurry contained heavy metals such as arsenic, barium, chromium, mercury, nickel and many more, all of which were released directly into water the ways. Preliminary tests of drinking water showed that the toxins did not affect it, however later individual organizations tests show high amounts of arsenic and other toxins in the water. Officials say that the discrepancy is due to original water test being done before the polluted water had a chance to reach Tennessee Valley Authority, water treatment plant. Authorities claim that the reason for the dam failure was due to the high rain fall and subzero temperatures. However, local residents are saying that they’d observed leakages ever since the plant was opened, as well as...
The water crisis in Flint Michigan was a travesty of justice and could have been avoided. While examining this unfortunate incidence, the truth of what happened is clear, conscience and deplorable that the choice in cost-cutting measures would lead to contaminated water that was harmful to many.
In the document “How Tap Water Became Toxic in Flint , Michigan” by Sara Ganim the issue was that the residents could not get clean water from their taps . The state decided that they would save money and switch their water . As they switched , residents noticed that the water started to look funny and smell funny . Some thought it was sewage but it was really iron in the water . The Department of Environmental Quality was not treating the Flint River water with an anti-corrosive agent causing the water to have lead in addition to iron . The lead in the water lead to lead poisoning and several medical conditions .Due to all the health conditions the Doctors decided to take matters into their own hands . Patients reported having rashes and
...mpt and comprehensive cleanup of PCBs from the riverbed Use safe, effective and commercially available technologies to permanently destroy PCBs once they are dredged Require GE (the company responsible for the contamination) to pay for a full cleanup. With the help and action of non-profit organizations, environmental groups, as well as the human population, there is hope to defend the river and its once awesome awe renewed. I grew up and lived on the river all my life and it makes me sick to know that this happened, because it affects relatives, friends and myself. I am part of some of the organizations listed in the bibliography and continue to do my fair share of letter writing to save the most serene place in my life, my home-- the river!
Flint, Michigan is in a state of emergency, but help isn’t coming fast enough. The seepage of toxic lead into drinking water pipes has created a widespread public health crisis which has prompted President Obama to declare a federal state of emergency. The problem can be traced back to 2014 when the city started to use the Flint River as its primary water source. Flint was in need of an alternative water source until its connecting pipe to the Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA) was complete, so the city switched over to the Flint River. As soon as the transition was made, citizens started to notice discoloration in their water as well as a foul smell. In a summary of the crisis in Flint, the New York Times stated, “the switch was made as a cost-saving
This problem with Flint’s water supply is still a problem to this very day. It still affects many of the civilians who did/or still call Flint, Michigan their home. But what exactly were those effects? What was it like to live under those
Then the documentary tackles Puget Sound. The Duwamish River is the largest hot spot in the nation. In 2001, the Duwamish River was classified as a “Super Fund” site. This is given to a site that will receive federal assistance for clean up. But yet, it may be too late. Puget Sound in contaminated with PCP, lead and mercury. The threat comes from the giant industrial polluters of old and from chemicals in consumers’ face creams, deodorants, prescription medicines and household cleaners that find their way into sewers, storm drains, eventually into America’s waterways and drinking water.
Westvaco is a paper mill which produces a great deal airborne waste which can be smelled, and seen anywhere within the city. Sediment from Westvaco airborne waste can be seen on the rooftops of homes throughout town. Further, Westvaco also produced waste that is dumped into the Jackson River. This waste has introduced pentachlorophenol (PCPs) in the Jackson River which turns into the James River which runs throughout Virginia. These PCPs affect the health of fish in the entire river which also has caused the Commonwealth of Virginia to issue a warning on the consumption of fish in the James and Jackson rivers. This externality affects fisherman throughout the commonwealth who are not able to eat the fish they catch in the Jackson and James rivers. Further, this externality affects residents within the city of Covington. Although there is no scientific proof to support this theory but, the airborne chemicals expelled from Westvaco cannot be health to the human body and could have significant side effects in the long
The most known chemical being dumped is a type of pesticide named Kepone (Reich). Manufacturers on the James had been dumping this in the river for about a decade in Hopewell, Virginia (Kepone: More News). An ironic thing about this situation is that in 1972, The Clean Water Act had been passed; clearly there weren’t many efforts to enforce it (Jravirginia). Sixteen months before everything was shut down, one of the sole polluters started manufacturing the chemical Kepone for a larger corporation; this manufacturing plant got away with poisoning many of it’s employees and the environment surrounding it (Reich). In 1978, a news article estimated the cost of cleaning the river to be in the billions; but, since at the the time they didn’t have the right technology to go through with the cleanup, they would have
Oil and Hazardous Materials Response (ESF #10): includes actions to prevent, minimize, or mitigate mainly the release of hazardous materials. In this case, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will coordinate with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to assess and detect the level of contamination in the water treated by the two plants of the MWW. Testing conducted will make sure the quality of water it is within the limits set by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Despite the fact the goal of the EPA is to protect the environment, citizens comes first. The Milwaukee Department of Health will make sure that health of its residents comes first.
The Cuyahoga and Black river were so polluted that an official announcement was made warning against contact with the water. The Cuyahoga was polluted with oil and debris that collected on the surface that caught fire in 1969. The fire pulled national media attention, including stories in Time
Levasseur., & J. Marcoux., 2015). Water advisories are precaution measures that the federal or provincial government take when there are pipeline issues. These water advisories take place if there are pipe malfunctions, infiltration problems, and contamination with bacteria (ibid). This demonstrates the outrages water crisis found among the First Nation communities in Northern Canada due to how many times they’ve had to live under water boil advisories for more than a decade, live under stress by not trusting their tap water, and are forced to buy bottled water, which is a luxury to them. Not only has this caused stress among the First Nations communities, but 21 communities are deemed to be at high-risk for contamination (The Council of Canadians,
Water pollution is a serious matter that should be accounted for. Every living being has a right to acquire a life-sustaining resource as water. A city in Michigan known as Flint is a victim of having contaminated essentials. In Flint, statistics show that not only is it in poverty, but over forty percent of its residents have a low income. It is revealing because most peers in the city felt personally victimized by the lack of supervision in its water distribution. It is churlish and insubordinate for any human being to acquiesce and it will be known around The United States, that officials can too, cause harm to the innocence. Yet, it is despicable to witness people suffering from agony with a few resources that are offered.
Walkerton a small town in Ontario was brought into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. When a major rain storm caused E. coli from manure to seep into the towns drinking water contaminating it. This disaster happened because Walkerton has had a dark past with not following proper rules and regulations. However, the Walkerton Clean Water Centre (WCWC) makes the future look bright. The future looks bright because the Ontario government learned from its wrongs of the past. By firstly, how the Walkerton Public Utilities Commission (PUC) managed the drinking water systems prior to the 2000 E. coli outbreak. Secondly, how the E. coli outbreak happened and how it effected drinking water regulations across Ontario. Finally,
Sonox is an industrial chemical used by Kardell Paper Company to manufacture bleach kraft paper (Brooks, 2007). Kardell Paper Company provides hundreds of people with jobs and is the town’s biggest source of income. Should the Ministry of Environment conclude that Kardell is the source of the cause; the outcome will be very costly and resulting in serious consequences. As CEO, it is my responsibility to make a decision that is for the good of the people at Riverside as well as for our employees. I too have become greatly concerned about the situation and will make a just decision after reading the Stakeholders Presentation provided by Kardell Legal Counsel, The City of Riverside and Residents, Kardell Investors, and Kardell Union Employees. I assure to you, the employees and residents of Riverside will be the first I take in to consideration when a decision is made.