West Virginia Chemical Spill Even Worse Than Reported
The amount of chemicals spilled from a West Virginia coal processing plant into the Elk River is even greater than previously reported, according to a statement issued by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection late Monday.
Freedom Industries has revised their estimate to approximately 10,000 gallons as the amount of Crude MCHM/PPH spilled on Jan. 9 into the local water supply, a mile and a half upstream from the intake pipes for the regional water utility, West Virginia American Waters.
“The number goes up and down, up and down, up and down. We don’t know.” —Mike Dorsey, W. Virginia DEP
Most recently reported at 7,500 gallons, the estimate was revised following an order by the DEP demanding Freedom Industries provide the methodology it was using to determine the quantity of the chemicals released.
However, the state still doesn’t know how much of the mixture of crude MCHM and PPH—a second chemical which just last week was revealed as being included the spill—seeped from storage tanks through old concrete walls meant to contain such leaks, the Charleston Daily Mail reports.
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