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ABOUT 100 KILOMETERS FROM WHERE I'M STANDING IN WASHINGTON IS THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA.
IT'S A MOSTLY RURAL STATE, WITH BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS AND WATERS. BUT
RECENTLY, THERE WAS A MAJOR CHEMICAL SPILL THAT CONTAMINATED A RIVER SUPPLYING WATER
TO SOME 300-THOUSAND PEOPLE. IT ALL HAPPENED NEAR THE STATE CAPITAL OF
CHARLESTON, AND VOA'S BRIAN PADDEN WHO JOINS ME NOW WENT TO THE CITY -- HI BRIAN NICE TO
SEE YOU -- HE WENT THERE TO SEE HOW THIS SPILL HAPPENED AND HOW IT WAS
HANDLED. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. NOW LET'S GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS. HOW
DID THIS SPILL OCCUR AND WHAT EXACTLY WAS THE CHEMICAL THAT WAS
SPILLED?
SO THERE'S AN INDUSTRY, A CHEMICAL COMPANY CALLED FREEDOM INDUSTRIES THAT OPERATES A
CHEMICAL PLANT RIGHT ON THE BANKS OF THE ELK RIVER UPSTREAM FROM A MAJOR WATER
PROCESSING PLANT FOR THE ENTIRE REGION. A LEAK IN ONE OF ITS STORAGE TANKS CONTAINING
A CHEMICAL THAT TREATS COAL, THAT CLEANS SAND FROM THE COAL, LEAKED INTO THE
WATER SUPPLY. NO ONE KNEW IT FOR HOURS UNTIL PEOPLE STARTED NOTICING A VERY STRONG LICORICE
SMELL TO THE WATER AND SOME PEOPLE WERE GETTING SICK. NO ONE DIED BUT
THEY HAD STOMACH PROBLEMS. THE GOVERNMENT THEN CAME OUT AND BANNED THE USE OF THE WATER,
TELLING PEOPLE NOT TO DRINK IT, NOT TO BOIL IT, NOT TO WASH CLOTHES IN
IT. YOU COULD NOT BOIL THE CHEMICAL OUT OF THE WATER.
THAT BAN, HOW LONG DID THAT LAST?
THIS LASTED ABOUT A WEEK. SLOWLY, CERTAIN AREAS CAME BACK ONLINE AS THE CHEMICAL FLUSHED
THROUGH THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM IN THE REGION. SO THE ONLY RECOURSE FOR
THE AREA WAS TO JUST FLUSH THIS CHEMICAL THROUGH THE WATER AND GET IT DOWNSTREAM UNTIL IT DISSIPATED
UNTIL IT WAS NO LONGER AT SUCH A HIGH POTENCY LEVEL.
NOW THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONTROVERSY WE'VE SEEN AS A RESULT OF THIS SPILL, ESPECIALLY
ON THE SIDE OF ENVIRONMENTALISTS CRITICIZING LACK OF REGULATION AND OTHER
ISSUES. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE DEBATE THAT'S BEEN SPAWNED REALLY BY THIS SPILL?
ONE OF THE CAUSES FOR CONCERN IS THAT THIS CHEMICAL PLANT IS NOT INSPECTED FOR OVER 20
YEARS. THERE WERE NO REGULATIONS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE CHEMICAL
STORAGE TANKS ON THE BANK OF THE RIVER WERE UP TO DATE AND WERE IN PROPER WORKING ORDER.
THERE IS NOW LEGISLATION IN PLACE TO TRY TO REMEDY SOME OF THAT. THE
CONCERN BY ENVIRONMENTALISTS IS THAT THE MAJOR ECONOMIC PLAYERS IN THE REGION, THE COAL INDUSTRY,
THE CHEMICAL COMPANIES THAT EMPLOY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THAT
REGION HAVE PRESSURED THE GOVERNMENT TO KEEP REGULATIONS AT A VERY LOW LEVEL. SO PEOPLE
FOR THE MOST PART BELIEVE THIS IS THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS. THIS IS THE
BUSINESS OF THE AREA, THE REGION, CHEMICALS, COAL PRODUCTION, AND THAT IT'S A PRICE THEY
HAVE TO PAY, THE RISK OF SOME OF THESE THINGS HAPPENING.
RIGHT AND THAT'S VERY INTERESTING, BECAUSE AS YOU SAY, THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH PUBLIC
OUTCRY ABOUT THIS. WE'VE SEEN THE OUTCRY FROM ENVIRONMENTALISTS BUT NOT MANY
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SPILL. WHEREAS IN CONTRAST TO THE BP OIL SPILL, WHERE
WE SAW A LOT OF OUTRAGE ON THE PART OF MANY AMERICANS, WHY IS THERE
THAT DIFFERENCE HERE?
A LOT OF LOCAL PEOPLE BELIEVE THEIR JOBS ARE AT STAKE HERE, THAT IF THERE'S TOO MUCH PRESSURE
PUT ON THESE INDUSTRIES THEY WILL CUT BACK PRODUCTION AND THEREFOR
CUT BACK JOBS. ENVIRONMENTALISTS HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR STRONGER REGULATIONS. ENVIRONMENTALISTS
WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF COAL BEING A VERY
DIRTY FUEL, FROM THE BEGINNING OF ITS PROCESS TO THE END OF ITS PROCESS. FROM GETTING IT
OUT OF THE GROUND, WHERE YOU DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT AND CUT OFF THE TOPS
OF MOUNTAINS, TO THE PROCESSING OF IT, WHERE YOU'RE USING THESE VERY STRONG CHEMICALS THAT
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SEEP INTO THE WATER, AND THEN THE FINAL PRODUCT
THAT PRODUCES SO MUCH POLLUTION. ENVIRONMENTALISTS ULTIMATELY WOULD LIKE THAT LIMITED, COAL PRODUCTION
LIMITED FROM BEGINNING TO END, AND THAT THREATENS THE
ECONOMY OF THE ENTIRE REGION.
WELL BRIAN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS STORY TO OUR ATTENTION, WE KNOW YOU WILL
CONTINUE TO FOLLOW IT SO WE WILL TAP INTO YOU FOR MORE. THANK YOU AGAIN
VOA'S BRIAN PADDEN...