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This statement, released Wednesday night by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, has left many of the state's residents wondering how safe the water really is.
"If it is not safe for me to drink pregnant, is it safe for my 55-pound daughter to drink or our pets?" asked Charleston resident Jennifer Kayrouz, who is 38 weeks pregnant, according toABC News. "It's very misleading. We got the green light, and three days later were told this one population really shouldn't drink it."
She added, "What are we supposed to believe?'"
Hundreds of thousands of people in nine West Virginia counties were told last Thursday to avoid using tap water due to a massive spill from coal processing plant Freedom Industries of the chemical MCHM into the Elk River, which is a key water source.
That ban has now been lifted for a majority of people affected, with the CDC claiming that as long as the chemical level is no greater than 1 part per million, it is safe.
Yet, officials have questioned this standard of safety, given the dearth of studies about the health dangers of the chemical.
"We don't know enough about the toxicity of this particular chemical to know what its long-term effects are and what the maximum contaminant level really should be," said Scott Simonton, vice chairman of the West Virginia Environmental Quality Board, in an interview with CNN.
The CDC's warning comes as residents report discolored water flowing from their taps.
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Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
This statement, released Wednesday night by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, has left many of the state's residents wondering how safe the water really is.
"If it is not safe for me to drink pregnant, is it safe for my 55-pound daughter to drink or our pets?" asked Charleston resident Jennifer Kayrouz, who is 38 weeks pregnant, according toABC News. "It's very misleading. We got the green light, and three days later were told this one population really shouldn't drink it."
She added, "What are we supposed to believe?'"
Hundreds of thousands of people in nine West Virginia counties were told last Thursday to avoid using tap water due to a massive spill from coal processing plant Freedom Industries of the chemical MCHM into the Elk River, which is a key water source.
That ban has now been lifted for a majority of people affected, with the CDC claiming that as long as the chemical level is no greater than 1 part per million, it is safe.
Yet, officials have questioned this standard of safety, given the dearth of studies about the health dangers of the chemical.
"We don't know enough about the toxicity of this particular chemical to know what its long-term effects are and what the maximum contaminant level really should be," said Scott Simonton, vice chairman of the West Virginia Environmental Quality Board, in an interview with CNN.
The CDC's warning comes as residents report discolored water flowing from their taps.
_____________________
This statement, released Wednesday night by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, has left many of the state's residents wondering how safe the water really is.
"If it is not safe for me to drink pregnant, is it safe for my 55-pound daughter to drink or our pets?" asked Charleston resident Jennifer Kayrouz, who is 38 weeks pregnant, according toABC News. "It's very misleading. We got the green light, and three days later were told this one population really shouldn't drink it."
She added, "What are we supposed to believe?'"
Hundreds of thousands of people in nine West Virginia counties were told last Thursday to avoid using tap water due to a massive spill from coal processing plant Freedom Industries of the chemical MCHM into the Elk River, which is a key water source.
That ban has now been lifted for a majority of people affected, with the CDC claiming that as long as the chemical level is no greater than 1 part per million, it is safe.
Yet, officials have questioned this standard of safety, given the dearth of studies about the health dangers of the chemical.
"We don't know enough about the toxicity of this particular chemical to know what its long-term effects are and what the maximum contaminant level really should be," said Scott Simonton, vice chairman of the West Virginia Environmental Quality Board, in an interview with CNN.
The CDC's warning comes as residents report discolored water flowing from their taps.
_____________________