Actually this is a chemical plant. Not a coal mine. Located on the banks of the Elk River probably less than a mile up stream of the municipal water plant intake located on the Kanawha River.
I fish the Kanawha and New River and I’ll just tell you. If the EPA is concerned with “odors in the vicinity of state waters”, and “unreasonable degree of treatment for the production of potable water”, they need to look no further than all the municipal sewage plants lining all rivers in the state. Discharges by the National Park Service at Grandview Sand Bar and National Park Service at Army Camp. Both located on the New River up stream of the water plant intake involved in this article. Municipalities have long been the largest polluters of our rivers and streams. And they have get out of jail free cards. I will never drink or cook with municipal water taken from surface sources. Don’t like showering with it but work makes me travel a lot so . . . what choice have I? Don’t drink water from surface sources folks. You’re drinking piss.
“Actually this is a chemical plant. Not a coal mine.”
Didn’t know that, thank you. Still...it could force coal mines in the area to obtain their chemical from more distant sources, increasing their costs, one would think. And, for sure, now there will be a new chemical villain bound to undergo heightened EPA scrutiny x 10. We both know that if there is a new angle and “lesson learned” from this example that the EPA can use in their war on coal, it will be used.
Was there no containment surrounding these tanks ?
From news pix, it doesn’t look like it.
If I owned a bulk liquids facility of any kind on a lake or river, I’d make it job 1.
The chemical spilled is used to clean coal.