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I KNOW YOU HAVE JUST BEEN THERE.
YOU WERE ON THE GROUND IN WEST
VIRGINIA.
WHAT IS YOUR BOTTOM LINE?
>> WELL, MY BOTTOM LINE IS WHAT
THE PEOPLE ARE REPORTING AND HOW
THEY FEEL.
THEY ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE
THEY ARE VERY CONCERNED AND IN A
SITUATION WHERE THEY ABSOLUTELY
DO NOT TRUST WHAT THEY ARE BEING
TOLD.
MOST OF THE RESTAURANTS
ADVERTISE USING BOTTLED WATER.
WE ARE NOT USING THE TAP.
THE RESIDENTS ARE STILL
COMPLAINING THAT OFF AND ON THEY
SMELL THINGS.
THEY ARE STILL COMPLAINING THAT
WHEN THEY USE THE WATER THEY ARE
NOTICING BURNS ON THEIR HANDS,
RASHES ON THEIR SCALP, SORE
THROAT, HEADACHE AND YET THEY
ARE CONTINUING TO BE TOLD IT IS
SAFE TO DRINK THE WATER.
MANY WILL ERRR ON THE SIDE OF
CAUTION.
>> YOU SAW THE REPORT THAT A
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION IS
UNDERWAY.
IS THAT JUSTIFIED?
SHOULD THERE BE THIS KIND OF
INVESTIGATION?
>> I ABSOLUTELY THINK THAT THERE
ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE.
THERE HAS GOT TO BECOME A TIME
WHERE WE WAKE UP AND START
HOLDING WHOEVER DID THIS
ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT HAS
HAPPENED.
300,000 PEOPLE WERE RENDERED NO
WATER.
WE DON'T KNOW THE FUTURE OUTCOME
OF THEM OR THEIR HEALTH.
IT IS A TRESPASS.
YOU ARE ON THE STREET AND YOU
ASSAULT SOMEBODY YOU GET FILED
CRIMINAL CHARGES AND GO TO JAIL.
IT IS WAY PAST TIME THAT WE STEP
UP TO THE PLATE AND HOLD PEOPLE
ACCOUNTABLE AND CRIMINAL CHARGES
ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE LOOKED AT.
>> DO YOU TRUST THE CENTERS FOR
DISEASE CONTROL SUGGESTING THAT
BASED ON THEIR TESTS SOME GOING
BACK 20 YEARS THAT THE WATER IS
SAFE IN WEST VIRGINIA?
>> YOU KNOW, FOR ME I THINK THAT
IS RISKY BUSINESS.
I SAY THAT FROM MY EXPERIENCE OF
BEING OUT THERE FOR 20 YEARS
INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT CHEMICALS.
AND FINDING OUT WAY TOO LATE WE
WERE WRONG.
THAT LEVEL WAS TOO HIGH.
AND THE DAMAGE IS ALREADY DONE.
I REALLY THINK CDC AND THESE
AGENCIES NEED TO ERR ON THE SIDE
OF CAUTION AND PROTECT THE
HEALTH AND WELFARE OF PEOPLE
FIRST.
WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TRACE
AMOUNT CAN AND CAN'T HARM A
CHILD AND WAIT TO FIND OUT IT IS
TOO LATE.
>> THE CDC TESTS WERE ON RATS
AND NOT APES.
CLEARLY THAT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH
FOR YOU AND A LOT OF FOLKS WHO
HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS ON A VERY
DAY TO DAY THING.
IS IT JUST DRINKING THE WATER?
WHAT ABOUT TAKING A SHOWER?
>> THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS VERY
CONCERNING TO US.
WE HAVE CLEARLY SHARED WITH
PEOPLE ESPECIALLY A HOT SHOWER,
IT GETS STEAMY.
INHALATION FACTOR WE ENCOURAGED
THEM TO TAKE SHORT SHOWERS.
IF THEY ARE WASHING IN HOT WATER
TO KEEP THE HOUSE OPEN AND
CLEARLY CONTINUE TO USE CAUTION
ABOUT WHETHER THEY DRINK IT OR
NOT.
INHALATION IS ALWAYS A FACTOR.
WE HAVE EXPRESSED OUR CONCERN
AND SHARE THAT WITH MOST OF THE
FOLKS.
>> YOU WOULDN'T USE THE WATER TO
DO YOUR LAUNDRY IN A WASHING
MACHINE?
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE REPORTING
THAT THEIR CLOTHES ARE FALLING
APART.
THEY ARE STAINED.
THEY HAVE AN OILY SUBSTANCE ON
THEM THAT WHEN THEY USE THE
WASHING MACHINE AND HOT WATER
THAT THEY CAN SMELL IT.
A COMMON PRECAUTION WOULD BE IF
YOU SMELL IT AND YOU ARE
OBSERVING THAT, WASH IN COLD
WATER, TAKE QUICK SHOWERS.
I HAD REPORTS OF PEOPLE WHO
AREN'T TAKING SHOWERS AT ALL
SAYING WE ARE GOING ON FOUR
WEEKS OF THIS AND REPORT THE
WATER LOOKS FUNNY.
FOR THEM IT IS LIKE I DON'T CARE
WHAT THE TRACE AMOUNT IS.
IT SHOULD BE ZERO.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE ASSURANCE
THAT OUR WATER IS SAFE.
AND THEY ARE STILL SENDING
CHILDREN TO SCHOOL WITH BOTTLED
WATER AND TAKING EVERY
PRECAUTION AND I WOULD DO THE
SAME.
>> HOW DO WE FIX THIS TO MAKE
SURE IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN?
>> THERE IS A LOT THAT WE HAVE
TO DO.
I MEAN, IT IS 2014 AND THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS NOT
PREPARED FOR A SITUATION LIKE
THIS.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A
OVERHAUL AND GREATER OVERSIGHT.
REGULATIONS ARE ALREADY ON THE
BOOK.
IF WE DON'T START ENFORCING
THESE REGULATIONS OUR
CONVERSATION IS POINTLESS AND
THIS WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.
SO WE HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE ON THE
GROUND THAT GO OUT AND OVERSEE
THESE TANK FARMS ABOVE GROUND,
BELOW GROUND.
IF WE ARE GOING TO SET NEW
REGULATIONS WE NEED TO BE
PREPARED TO ENFORCE THEM SO THIS
TYPE OF PROBLEM DOES NOT
CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.
I THINK WE HAVE LEARNED HERE
THAT IT TAKES VERY LITTLE WATER
TO DAMAGE A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE
AND THAT WILL HAVE ANOTHER
CRISIS ON OUR HANDS.
SO WE HAVE TO HAVE BETTER
OVERSIGHT AND WE HAVE NEW