Charleston, WV: Some 300,000 people are without safe tap water as a result of a chemical spill in W. Virginia' capital city of Charleston. Over the weekend, State officials reported some 28,000 liters of the chemical 4-methylcyclohexane methanol had leaked out of a 150,000 litre tank at a Freedom Industries facility along the Elk River, near the state's largest water treatment intake plant. According to media reports the town' tap water is now so toxic it can be set on fire. It turns out the plant which stored the chemical hadn't been inspected in 20 years.
The leak was initially noticed late last week, following complaints to West Virginia American Water about a licorice-type odour in the tap water. While some of the chemical was contained before reaching the Elk River, it' not known how much 4-methylcyclohexane methanol made it into the water supply.
It could take days for clean tap water to be restored to the people of Charleston. Currently, 32 residents have been taken to hospital for treatment of symptoms including nausea, four of whom were admitted to the Charleston Area Medical Center. During the weekend, businesses and restaurants across town were closedand will likely remain closed until clean tap water is restored.
Federal authorities, including the US Chemical Safety Board, are currentingly investigating the 4-methylcyclohexane methanol spill.
