State ignored plan for tougher chemical oversight

[highplainsdem]

Source: West Virginia Gazette

Three years ago this month, a team of federal experts urged the state of West Virginia to help the Kanawha Valley create a new program to prevent hazardous chemical accidents.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board recommended the step after its extensive investigation of the August 2008 explosion and fire that killed two workers at the Bayer CropScience plant in Institute.

Since then, the proposal has gone nowhere. The state Department of Health and Human Resources hasn't stepped in to provide the legal authority the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department needs to start such a program. And Kanawha County officials never funded the plan, and seldom mention that the CSB recommendation was even made.

Now, with more than 300,000 residents across the Kanawha Valley without usable water following a chemical accident at Freedom Industries on the Elk River, some local officials say it's time for action.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201401120021

[busterbrown]

1. “Time for Action” ??

Just fucking Brillent!

[Turbineguy]

15. It probably means

they need to get a republican in the White House.

[billhicks76]

16. Retrain The Marijuana Warriors...

And make them environmental enforces that monitor the corporate poisoners. Think of how much respect they would have in the community. It would be incredible.

[TexasBushwhacker]

2. Reminds me of the explosion in West, TX

Rick Perry brags about Texas having lax business regulations. Well, those lax regulations cost 16 people there lives. 160 more were injured and 150 buildings were destroyed or damaged. It hadn't been inspected by OSHA in almost 30 years. But hey, surely the company had lots of insurance, since it stored all that explosive material, right? WRONG! Because Texas doesn't require it!

[durablend]

3. I'd be surprised if they get a slap on the wrist

And any cleanup costs will come from the taxpayers, of course.

[awoke_in_2003]

18. Socialize the risk

privatize the profit

[hog]

4. Another LLC connected to the Koch brothers.

[KT2000]

5. just another example of

corporations running the government.

[awoke_in_2003]

19. They are the government. nt

[geek tragedy]

6. Standing up to Obama is more important

than public health down there.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

7. I'm surprised more Red States haven't had massive poisonings.

[maindawg]

8. That is what bothers me

This amounted to 300,000 people being exposed to a toxic chemical for we dont know how long.They drank it, cooked with it, bathed in it, fed it to their pets, their children....
This is a the poisoning of thousands of children.
Why am I the only person who understands that?


edited to add.

No one has died yet. That we know of. It does not kill you like cyanide. But the health issues could be extreme for many years. Who will pay for that? My heart goes out to the good people of West Virginia. I can only imagine your horror right now.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

9. Sounds like a job for,....

http://www.brockovich.com/

(She's ON it!!!)

[SCVDem]

12. Just for shits and grins,

Is Marijuana legal in West Virginia?

If not, please explain the rationale why or why not.

Dangerous drug? Kills people? Birth defects? Harmful to the enviroment?

That would be coal!

It is way past time for a reality check!

[Gordon Alf Shumway]

10. Follow the Money ...

I'm certain that the company involved was more generous with its contributions to state politicians than it was with its budget for safety and maintenance. No surprise that state agencies were less than rigorous in their oversight?

[calimary]

21. Welcome to DU, Gordon Alf Shumway!

Glad you're here! I look at stories like this and think - "oh, but we CAN'T have those mean ol' nasty 'job-killing' regulations! Bad for BIZness!!! Free market! Free market!"

I guess the meaningless hyphenated adjective "job-killing" attached to bills to keep the regulations away must REALLY refer to "people-killing".

[Gordon Alf Shumway]

22. Deja vu ...

Thanks! Funny, I used to know someone who had the same avatar as you ...

[Botany]

11. Don't worry they are working on it right now

Clean up: A worker throws a boom into the Elk River Thursday, after the spill of chemical used in the preparation of coal.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2537104/State-emergency-declared-West-Virginia-chemical-spill-results-tap-water-ban-300-000.html
*****

I am not making fun of this poor bastard in the middle of the river birch trees trying to put a boom down
to stop the spread of the chemical but where are the boats? where is the chemical in the water column?
is the chemical already downstream? where is his haz mat gear? a boom on top of ice will do nothing.

The spill which is an environmental problem DID NOT have to be a problem to the drinking water in the
region .... if the company had notified the right people when the spill first happened all the water company
would have had to do is just stop pumping water from the river and let the chemical float down stream.

I know the region well and that area is loaded with chemical plants, coal, and lots of other "fun stuff."



BTW I do not buy that only 5,000 to 7,500 gallons of the chemical leaked ..... the holding tanks at Freedom Industries
hold a lot more then that.

[broadcaster75201]

13. Red States want small "gubment"; their problem not mine. No longer care. nt

nt

[happyslug]

23. Error

This was to go to a different site not this one, posted by mistake.

[kelliekat44]

14. State's Rights, you know. I hope the citizens and voters there are satisfied with their choices.

[a la izquierda]

17. We have a Democratic governor and two

Democratic senators. Ignorance, must be bliss.
Thanks for your sympathies, I hope nothing terrible ever happens where you live.

[SCVDem]

20. I found Manchins response to this mess

to be pathetic.

Conduct unbecoming and all that.

Is everyone in WV government in the pockets of the coal industry?

FWIW, our RW district can't shitcan Buck McKeon so I can sympathize.

He is MIC uber allles! Yet all the people would rather be kicked in the nuts before they vote for a Democrat.

Deepest condolences.

[a la izquierda]

24. Manchin is a DINO...

And I'm a socialist, so yeah, I won't agree with him on much. His response has been terrible. The coal industry strangles all else it seems. I'm a newcomer to West Virginia, so I have an odd perspective.

But I'm tired of the "ignorant, red state voters" meme.