Big coal says it is "clean" and cost efficient. So why did approximately 7500 gallons of dangerous chemicals get leaked into Elk River from a Freedom Industries coal plant? Those chemicals didn't just damage the river. They also found their way into the tap water in people's homes, endangering 300,000 unsuspecting residents in the area of Charleston, West Virginia.
And it's likely that Freedom Industries will get off scot free because of weak to non-existent state regulations. Twice, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board has recommended a safety program to monitor coal emissions. But the state rejected the proposal, favoring the coal industry over the health and safety of West Virginians.
Tell the West Virginia Legislature to clean up coal's act and enact stricter regulations on coal!
Dear West Virginia Legislators:
We the undersigned are horrified by the recent spill of 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol into the Elk River. This spill has compromised the drinking water of approximately 300,000 West Virginians in the Charleston area.
It appears that the coal industry has almost no rules. State laws have consistently favored the interests of industry over the health and safety of residents. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has crafted a program for regulating coal which the state has rejected.
The time has come to hold the coal industry responsible. Please enact a program to regulate coal and prevent further life-threatening chemical spills.
