West Virginia Officials Say Water Ban to be Lifted Soon

[marble falls]

Source: Time Magazine

West Virginia Officials Say Water Ban to be Lifted Soon

But authorities unable to provide clear timetable
By David Stout Jan. 13, 2014Add a Comment

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Residents line up for water at a water filling station at West Virginia State University, in Institute, West Virginia, January 10, 2014.


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After an estimated 300,000 West Virginians spent the weekend without tap water, following a massive chemical spill in the Elk River, officials say tests show life may return to normal soon — without specifying exactly when. “I believe that we’re at a point where we can say that we see light at the end of the tunnel,” West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin told a group of reporters on Sunday.

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Jeff McIntyre, president of West Virginia American Water, said he was optimistic that the ban would be lifted soon. “I don’t believe we’re several days from starting to lift, but I’m not saying today,” told McIntyre.

On Thursday, state officials announced that approximately 7,500 gallons of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, a chemical used to process coal, had leaked from a storage tank into the Elk River, just one mile from the West Virginia American Water plant.

Environmentalists have long chided West Virginia’s lax industrial regulations, which activists claim are a result of the enormous sway companies working in coal-related industries have in the state.

Read more: http://nation.time.com/2014/01/13/west-virginia-officials-say-water-ban-to-be-lifted-soon/

[another_liberal]

1. “I don’t believe we’re several days from starting to lift, but I’m not saying today.”

WTF does that mean?

I expected him to add, "But I'm not really at all sure if this is an emergency, or not."

[Lasher]

2. How about this one from West Virginia American Water President Jeff McIntyre?

"We don't know that the water is not safe, but I can't say it is safe."

Translation: "We don't know what we're doing."

[another_liberal]

3. That is scary.

You guys must feel like you're just on a wing and a prayer with this mess.

[Lasher]

6. Yep, it's inconvenient.

Somebody from the county keeps coming by the local church to give bottled drinking water to folks but they never seem to let anybody know when they will be there and then they are gone before we find out they had been there. There's a fire department nearby and I could always go there to get water any time of day.

All area restaurants are closed. By state law they must have potable running water to open. Hospitals are open, of course, but they're only cooking for patients so their cafeterias are closed.

But it's not as bad for me personally as you might imagine. We can't use our tap water for anything whatever except flushing the toilet. But we're lucky to have a potable water supply here on our property. And being a country boy, I'm used to cooking my own food. I just fixed 5 gallons of my famous deer stew. I wish I could share a bowl with you, it's really good.

Do you know how much water you need to take an actual bath? A shitload, that's how much. I know this from personal experience last night. I've been using the propane burner of my turkey deep fryer setup to heat water. I can have 5 gallons boiling in a hurry.

[another_liberal]

7. "Intelligence . . .

". . . is the ability to survive."

[Spacemom]

4. Funny how these chemical spills always seem to be fine after a few weeks

Nothing to see here, move along.

Then in 20 years or so the cancer rates in the area are way above norm.

[marble falls]

5. They just kick it down the road. Later it will be a 'cancer cluster' which will be explained away...

as a 'statistical anomaly'.

[llmart]

8. I wouldn't believe a G.D. thing the "officials" say.....

Would you really trust your health/life to them? Not me.

This should be the number one news story everywhere, but people who don't live in W. Va. won't give it a second thought in a week. Have we really made much progress since Love Canal?

[Lasher]

9. In a word, no.

I don't trust anything the officials say.