West Virginia Chemical Spill Worse Than First Reported

February 14, 2014- The Elk River chemical spill in West Virginia that occurred in January involved more gallons of chemicals than was previously reported, says The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.

Freedom Industries, which owned the tank that leaked into a river supplying water in the state, now reports that approximately 10,000 gallons of the chemicals 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (also known as MCHM) and PPH were released.

The company initially said 7,500 gallons spilled, and failed to disclose the presence of the second chemical until last week. The leak, first reported on Jan. 9, left hundreds of thousands in the area without access to tap water for days. Though the formal advisory on the water has been lifted, some say they are still concerned about water safety.

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) called for the storage facility to be torn down and for a full remediation of the site.

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