By Bob Weaver
Some West Virginians seemed shocked over the toxic chemical spill that affected the water of 300,000 people.
Over a 40 year period I have written hundreds of stories hot-tracking
the West Virginia coal and chemical industry and the pollution of the state's water.
While there have been changes with the Clean Water Act, the enforcement has been a cat and mouse game, after which West Virginians pay little mind to the latest pollution problem, except to get angry at environmentalists (once called conservationists.)
This week came a 100,000 gallon coal slurry spill into a Kanawha County waterway.
Jimmy Gianato, director of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said "I don't think there's really anything to it...It turned out to be much of nothing."
Most of the state's politicos, many with strong ties to the coal industry, have put forth the same argument in those 40 years.
See 'Significant' Slurry Spill Blackens Kanawha Creek by Ken Ward for the Charleston Gazette
Here's a few "much about nothing" articles from the Hur Herald:
WASHINGTON POST: Leaked Hidden Report Questions Safety Of WV Slurry Dams
SLURRY WATER GETTING FIXED IN BOONE COUNTY - "Too Toxic To Touch"
$35 MILLION SETTLEMENT TOXIC SLURRY INVADING WATER SUPPLY IN WV APPROVED - Small Victory For Southern WV Residents
GOVERNMENT RELEASES SECRET LIST OF SLURRY PONDS - Four Sites "Risky" To West Virginians
NEW LAWSUITS FILED AGAINST MASSEY COAL - Judge Blocks Mountaintop Dumping Into Trout Stream
MASSEY HEAD COULD BE IN CHARGE OF 'HEN HOUSE' - "Wreck The Planet, Win A Prize"
TWISTED LOGIC OVER POISONED FISH - WV Allows More Fish Eating With Mercury Risk
BUFFALO CREEK DISASTER "ACT OF MAN"- Warnings Ignored Over 30 Years Ago, Problems Still Persist
LEST YOU FORGET: COAL IS STORMING HEAVEN - Patriot Paid $6.5 Million On 1,400 Pollution Violations, Massey Paid $20 Mil On $2.4 Billion Fines
TOXIC HOUSEHOLD WATER BURNS SKIN IN SOUTHERN WV - DEP Can't Make Connection
PA SUES CONSOL COAL OVER DUNKARD CREEK FISH KILL - WV Already Settled Dumping Case |