Nearly 800 calls to W. Virginia poison center after chemical spill
Jan 12, 2014 | End the Lie
Residents line up for water at a water filling station at West
Virginia State University, in Institute, West Virginia, January 10,
2014. (Reuters/Lisa Hechesky)
Tap water in nine counties in West Virginia is still off limits, the
governor said, as almost 800 people called a local poison center
reporting illnesses, while residents spent a third day unable to drink
from the faucet, or have a bath or shower.
A state poison center has handled 787 calls from people reporting
nausea, diarrhea, headaches, skin irritation and rashes, as well as 54
calls from worried pet owners.
The center brought staff back from holiday early and is operating 16-hour shifts to help cope with the surge in demand.
A further 90 people have showed up at hospitals, with five actually
being admitted, although the center stresses that in the vast majority
of cases people can be treated at home.
State Governor Earl Ray Tomblin said that officials were continuing
to test the water regularly and purge the water system to flush out the
harmful chemicals.
“We will let you know as soon as the water company lifts the ban. Please remain patient and keep checking on your neighbors,” Tomblin said at a news conference on Saturday night.
The governor has requested more bottled water from the Federal
Management Agency, and although many shops have sold out, distribution
centers remain open.
On Friday, President Barak Obama declared a state of emergency in the
nine counties affected by the spill and sent the Department of Homeland
Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help
provide disaster relief.
The National Guard announced on Saturday that tests showed the level
of contamination was falling, but that the water was not yet safe to
drink.
Jeff McIntyre, president of West Virginia Water, said he expected the
water to be safe in a few days, but was unable to be more specific.
The spill occurred on Thursday at a facility in Charleston run by
Freedom Industries and involved methylcyclohexane methanol, which is
used to clean coal.
Methylcyclohexane is dangerous in high concentrations and if breathed
deep into the lungs it can cause pneumonia. The effects of prolonged
exposure are not clear, according to the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration.
The leak has affected 300,000 people but businesses have also been
knocked out of action, with restaurants being told they cannot open
unless they have access to an outside water source.
“We’re moving into a phase of emergency, not only the
contamination of the water, but also the health and nutrition and safety
of individuals. As well as the economic loss and the employment of
several thousand individuals,” Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the
Kanawha County Health Department (one of the counties affected by the
spill), told the Charleston Gazette.
Meanwhile, the Feds have opened an investigation into what caused the
spill. Officials do not yet have any answers regarding what might have
caused the leak, or even for how long it lasted, or how much leaked. A
team dispatched by the US Chemical Safety Board will arrive in West
Virginia on Monday to investigate what led to a leak of such
proportions.
Source: RT
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