January 9th, 2014. It was really just another normal day. Nothing was out of the ordinary whatsoever. It was a typical Thursday. My daughter went to school, my wife went to work and I was off that day. I hung out with my son until my wife got home. Afterward, we decided to head out for a bit until it was time to pick up my daughter from school. We grabbed some lunch at Sheetz and went to KMart just to look around aimlessly until time to get my daughter. That's when our encounter with this whole situation began.
It was about 1:15 PM. We parked and went inside without incident. We bought my son a foam baseball bat with the MLB logo on it to play with, and a couple of other small items. On the way out, we stopped at the claw machine to try to win a certain prize for my mother in law. It was the Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz, her favorite character in her favorite movie. We were successful. Feeling good, we walked out. That's when it hit us. We didn't know what to think. My wife and I said it almost simultaneously: What is that smell? It smells like licorice. I replied that maybe the AirGas plant had a spill. Oh boy, I was close.
Not thinking anymore about it, we headed back toward my daughter's school. I had received a text message by then that read: "Eyewitness News Alert:Officials monitoring nonhazardous substance leak into Elk River on Barlow Drive in Charleston. Spon: Edwards Comp Cancer Ctr." My first thought was, "Nonhazardous doesn't mean bad then." We picked up my daughter, we went to a few places and around 5 PM we went to my workplace to pickup my check. Nothing at this point was out of the ordinary for a Thursday.
At this point, we finally went home and put up a few groceries we had picked up. I sat down to surf the web and watch a sports show on TV. We decided to eat dinner in a little bit. I was going to be the cook that night, and was really just putting off getting started on dinner out of pure laziness on my part. It was a great thing that I waited.
Around the time my show went off, I got a text message. I didn't really pick up my phone right away to read it, but then I grabbed it as I was changing the channel to the local news at 6. The message immediately had my full attention: "Eyewitness Traffic Alert:Emergency Authorities- DO NOT USE your water for drinking, bathing, cooking, or doing laundry. If you live in these counties Kanawha, Putnam, Jackson and Lincoln do not use your water. Spons- Delegate Doug Skaff." Turning on the news at 6 PM means you are about 2 minutes late, since the news actually starts here at 5:58. They were already talking about this. I watched for about 10 minutes, and decided this was a serious situation. I didn't really know what was going on, but I knew I had to get back to the store to find some bottled water.
I rushed to the nearest store, and people were already pushing out carts full of water. People were even pushing out carts full of waters in milk crates, which the store was trying to remind people not to take. There was almost nowhere to park, except the far side of the building. I rushed to where the waters were located, and noted that the shelves were completely empty. I pushed past some people who had just missed out, saying to each other that the store was grabbing more from the back. I immediately pushed my cart to the back of the store where they would bring them out of the back doors. Others had decided to set up next to the aisle the water was stocked. I got lucky. The worker brought out a pallet of 32-count waters, and set it down right there in the middle of the main section, nowhere near the aisle waters were stocked. He ripped off the protective plastic holding them on the pallet, and people dove at them. I managed to pick up three of them and get them in my cart.
As I paid for them, I noted that pretty much every person in line had multiple packs of waters, as well as jugs of distilled waters and baby waters. This was only about 25 minutes after the news reported the breaking news alert. Prior to that, people could not have known. It was also that chaotic time of night when people are getting off work. I am guessing a lot of phone calls were placed to people out and about to stop and get water.
Empty shelves at Kroger
More empty shelves
I got home with my three packs of waters, and watched for any new alerts or information. I am glad that I waited to make dinner, because we were going to have spaghetti, which required the use of the water obviously. We instead decided to just eat some frozen dinners. I alerted my mom by phone, to which she didn't take what I was saying seriously. She lives 900 miles away, and I wanted her to know what was going on here. She said that we would be fine and it would probably not be a big deal. Knowing it was, I attempted to explain over and over that it was a huge deal. There was a press conference at 7 PM and we were told not to use the water for any reason and that it was toxic.
The rest of the night, the emergency broadcasting system, that usually annoying bar at the top of the screen scrolling a message usually reading "This is a required weekly test of the Emergency Broadcasting System," was scrolling a very real message about not using the water. The bar would end up staying put for the next 9 days. On the news that night at 10, they reiterated the seriousness of the situation. We had to avoid the water at all cost. It was at that moment, with me not having to work the next day either, and my daughter's school being cancelled due to a state of Emergency, that we decided to drive out to Lexington, KY, the next day to get supplies and a clean shower in a hotel.
See how close
We stayed the night in Lexington, KY, at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, and had a solid experience. From the front of our hotel, I could probably quite easily throw a stone and hit the front door of Cracker Barrel. We ate there. I got a good hot meal, a clean shower and a nice bed to sleep in. Sara got pretty sick, but she ended up toughing it out. We went to Trader Joe's the next day, as well as Kroger. I had a conversation with the older woman working the checkout lane, and she had heard all about our water crisis on the news. She said that we had made a good decision to come find supplies, and get a good shower.
We drove home and after we got close, I stopped at a Sheetz outside the affected area, to buy dinner before work. As we approached where we live, we drove across the Kanawha River, and at this moment we saw one of the brightest, most colorful and perfect looking rainbows any of us had ever seen. This river was polluted, and yet, we were treated to the rainbow to beat all rainbows. I thought that would be a good omen. I hope this at least.
And it was a double rainbow at that
The next day, church was cancelled, and we also learned that school would be cancelled for my daughter Monday. Sunday was really the first day we began life without tap water. No showers. No cooking. No hand washing. All of it had to be done with the bottled water or the distilled water that we had bought in Lexington. It seemed like a hassle, but we were going to persevere. I wanted to set a good example for my children, that we can overcome life's obstacles with ingenuity and grit.
The next week became the story of finding more water, and figuring out what we need to do without tap water access. We put paper towels over the faucets as a reminder not to use them. We started using these small amounts of water for everything. I learned how to get clean with a minimal amount of water. Good clean too. I learned that cooking really wasn't that different with distilled water. We made dinners, we ate frozen meals and we made due. You also learn that there are things you can do without water. Wisps are pretty good toothbrushes. Baby wipes become essential for cleaning.
Wisps & Baby Wipes at Walmart right up front
More and more was being uncovered over those first several days. The spilled chemical was known as 4-Methylcyclehexanol, or the acronym MCHM. This chemical is used by the coal industry. It is sprayed onto coal slurry, and used to separate tiny bits of good coal from the waste product of the process. It allows coal companies to skim off that last little bit of profits before dumping the slurry into dump sites dangerously close to communities around the area. The chemical was leaked by a company known as Freedom Industries, from their containment site in Charleston on the Elk River. Their sleazy corporate overlord, known as Gary Southern, attempted to blow off the media during his first interview on camera. However, a brave and wonderful journalist named Kallie Cart of WCHS, told him she wasn't done with him yet, and forced him to answer questions. We still didn't get many answers, but it was good to know that at least local media was on our side. The next day, this became a national story. CNN, ABC News, NBC News, CBS News and a slew of other domestic and foreign outlets covered the story. Some of the best information and interviews actually came from Al-Jazeera English, who sent a reporter to Charleston. The New York Times also sent a reporter into the area to get information.
Also over that first weekend, donations began pouring in. Water from all over the place started flooding (excuse the pun) our area. Suddenly, the nine affected counties had enough water supplies for the population that lives here. It could even have been said that there was more than enough, way more than enough. Water distribution sites were set up. Grocery stores discounted their prices. Things were looking up, at least a little.
Tons of water outside a local Kroger
A VFD Water distribution site in operation
Lawsuits were filed on behalf of the citizens and the businesses who lost money. Every restaurant in the affected area was closed, many for days and days. The first parts of the area that began to get the okay to flush their pipes were the east side of Charleston. They got the go ahead, and many did just that. There was a lot of misinformation going out about how to do this, what it would actually do and what was the safe level of chemical in the water. For me, there is no safe level. I want 0.00 parts per million (ppm) but it is not dispersed yet. The CDC set an arbitrary number at 1 ppm as the level water would have to test below for 24 hours before a zone would be deemed safe. Our area was cut up into several zones. We would be known as zone five.
Despite being labeled "safe," persons on the east side of Charleston reported chemical burns, rashes, and becoming ill at the smell in the water. People reported having to visit the hospital over their situation. Many reported discoloration of water even after flushing. The water was not really safe. It tested below 1 ppm, but it was not safe. That number is arbitrary, it means nothing. The chemical has never been lab tested for human safety. The truth is, no one can state with complete certainty what the "safe" level is. It is likely only 0.00 ppm. The Health Department and CDC are both telling pregnant women not to use the water, even in a "safe" zone. That's enough to tell me the water isn't safe for anybody.
Our zone was still red in the middle of the blue
With this information, we began to watch daily as the map turned more and more blue. Blue meant safe and red meant Do Not Use. Each day, a new zone would become blue. It was never zone five. Finally, the 8th day in, our zone's Do Not Use ban was lifted. We flushed our pipes and left the house. While flushing, I never noticed a smell or discoloration. All I noticed was a highly chlorinated smell. In fact, the whole neighborhood smelled of chlorine. The Water company, West Virginia American Water was pumping extra Chlorine into the supply. Chlorine at higher levels can cause people to become sick. It didn't seem like the best idea. Was it to mask the licorice smell? Was it an attempt to disperse the chemical? I don't know.
And here we are today. It is now day 11 without the tap. We have been cooking, cleaning and doing everything with distilled or bottled water. The only thing we are using the tap for is laundry. We had previously been washing our clothes in the bathtub with distilled water and soap, and then putting them in the dryer. I think my clothes were just as clean that way as they were getting in the washing machine anyway. But when we got the all clear, and our water didn't have any smell or discoloration, we decided that it would be okay only for laundry.
Laundry in the bathtub
Flushing the pipes
The map with all zones shaded blue for "safe"
My daughter has been out of school for state of emergency since the leak. She has only had school 3 1/2 days since December 19th. She missed a few days for snow when school started back after the holiday as well. She had a big project due on the 17th. That has now had to be postponed, along with their 2nd nine weeks awards assembly. She says that she is ready to go back. She will also not have school Monday due to MLK Jr Day. I imagine we will have to have the second coming of Christ before they will miss any more days this school year.
We were going to send her with a lunch from home this week, but at the time of writing this post, we received this automated message from the school system on our phone: "School will resume in Kanawha County on Tuesday, according to an automated message. Bottled water will be provided to students through the end of the day Friday. No meals will be prepared using water, according to the message. Officials say that certified plumbers were used to flush each school’s water system and that all safety protocol was followed." This is a bit of good news. We can just let her eat at school now. I am glad they are making safety and well-being of our children a top priority.
Speaking of cooking with bottled water or alternative water sources, many restaurants began to open after days of being closed this week. They opened with limited menus. Restaurants were not able to serve fountain sodas, and were giving patrons cans of soda and bottled waters. After getting deemed a "safe" zone, many places began going back to tap but some did not. Whether they truly cared about safety or whether they wanted to avoid lawsuits can't be determined, but some continue to use alternative water sources. Some even poked fun at the crisis, giving me a laugh when I needed it.
Several groups have sprung up on social media to organize citizens in response to the water crisis. They want answers, we all do. Some include Friends Of Water (a play on Friends Of Coal, a prominent pro-coal group in West Virginia), Honoring The Waters, and WV Water Crisis Solidarity. I'm particularly fond of Friends Of Water because it is a direct play on the industry's big group Friends Of Coal, which has a ridiculous citizen following here. There have been organized events at the Capitol, the one yesterday even covered by the local news. These groups are trying to keep the heat on the companies involved, and use the media to get their concerns out there.
We were going to send her with a lunch from home this week, but at the time of writing this post, we received this automated message from the school system on our phone: "School will resume in Kanawha County on Tuesday, according to an automated message. Bottled water will be provided to students through the end of the day Friday. No meals will be prepared using water, according to the message. Officials say that certified plumbers were used to flush each school’s water system and that all safety protocol was followed." This is a bit of good news. We can just let her eat at school now. I am glad they are making safety and well-being of our children a top priority.
Speaking of cooking with bottled water or alternative water sources, many restaurants began to open after days of being closed this week. They opened with limited menus. Restaurants were not able to serve fountain sodas, and were giving patrons cans of soda and bottled waters. After getting deemed a "safe" zone, many places began going back to tap but some did not. Whether they truly cared about safety or whether they wanted to avoid lawsuits can't be determined, but some continue to use alternative water sources. Some even poked fun at the crisis, giving me a laugh when I needed it.
Tudor's & Geno's were open, but with limited menus
Hilarious sign in downtown Charleston
Several groups have sprung up on social media to organize citizens in response to the water crisis. They want answers, we all do. Some include Friends Of Water (a play on Friends Of Coal, a prominent pro-coal group in West Virginia), Honoring The Waters, and WV Water Crisis Solidarity. I'm particularly fond of Friends Of Water because it is a direct play on the industry's big group Friends Of Coal, which has a ridiculous citizen following here. There have been organized events at the Capitol, the one yesterday even covered by the local news. These groups are trying to keep the heat on the companies involved, and use the media to get their concerns out there.
See?
In 2014, it seems outlandish that anyone in America would have to live without access to clean tap water. This should simply never happen. The water supply of any area should be treated as the most important resource. It should be protected, taken care of, and people should go out of their way to ensure its safety to the public. Living without tap water can turn an entire community upside down. It creates dangerous situations in which people's lives can be at stake. We should never ever allow anything like this to happen again.
So why did this happen? Well, the company, Freedom Industries, neglected their storage facility's safety walls. Their tank for MCHM was leaking, and their retaining wall also had a hole in it that leaked around 7,500 gallons of the liquid into the Elk River. The distance between that facility and the Elk River water treatment plant belonging to West Virginia American Water was less than a two minute drive down the interstate.
There was a lot of failure built into the system that allowed this to happen. For one, the rules for regulating chemical facilities allowed Freedom to avoid inspection since 1991. Sites determined to be "storage" and not "production" were simply not subjected to routine regular inspections. Thus, the company knew they had damages that needed to be fixed, but no regulatory agency was able to inspect these facilities, and report the problems. Therefore, they could sit back and wait for disaster, unimpeded, all the while making profits in the coal industry. At the end of 2013, Freedom Industries was sold, and consolidated other companies into the fold. Thus, they became larger by gaining new assets under their name, while their ex-President was able to walk away from all the issues of the company with a hefty sum of money.
Then, the big news came down this week. Freedom Industries filed for bankruptcy protection. This meant two things: 1)They could simply state that they didn't have the money to pay their bills, and get their bills consolidated, often ensuring they would pay far less than they owed to get straight. 2)They needed another company or entity to lend them this money, upon which if the company went under afterward, the lending company would assume all of Freedom's assets.
They "miraculously" found a company willing to lend them money to fish them out of the bankruptcy lake. That company was "Mountaineer Funding LLC," which didn't exist until the same day as the bankruptcy took place. As pointed out by MSNBC, the chief officer of the new company was "Cliff Forrest." The President of Freedom Industries was a J. Clifford Forrest. Unless there are two guys with almost identical names involved in this out of pure coincidence of chance, then everyone can see the farce taking place here. They are the same man, and the man is attempting to buy his company out of bankruptcy, change it's name, skirt all responsibilities, and restructure the assets to continue making profits as a "new" corporation. It was also revealed that Freedom Industries hadn't paid taxes since 2000, and owed more than $2.5MM. They would be able to pay that during this bankruptcy process, if granted.
We can't allow this to happen. This company's gross negligence cost 300,000+ people their clean water supply, possibly for several weeks or months. They created a state of emergency situation which could have been totally preventable if they hadn't put profits over safety. We cannot let them simply walk away from their responsibility. They owe us, and they will be made to pay for what they did.
Freedom Industries on Google Maps
(Note: Ironic billboard blasting EPA Regulations circled)
On a different note, I want to say that this whole situation has taught me a few things. It made me realize how much I take clean water for granted. There are many people in this world that do not have access to clean water on a daily basis. We are truly blessed to have this in the US. I have also learned how precious water is. When the only water you have access to is contained in bottles and jugs, you realize just how important each drop can be. You have to make it last. You can't waste it. You learn to live with less. If I can take anything from this, it is that I waste so much water, and I will not do that in the future. When I take a shower with tap VS taking a shower with a pitcher of heated water, I realize that in both instances I can get pretty clean. I have learned to get by with less, and I will take that lesson with me.
Water is so vital to life. Luckily, we live in an age when clean water can be brought in, and people can have access to it without the need for it to come from the pipes in your own home. I am grateful to every person, church, or other group that brought in water to help us during this crisis. There are still water distribution sites open tomorrow, 1/20/14, and I will probably hit one up to get another case of water as we are starting to run out.
We need regulations, we need to ensure that this doesn't happen again. We need proper enforcement. I have a feeling that this situation will improve at least somewhat in the future. I don't foresee a disaster of this magnitude ever hitting this area again. There will be too many cautious people, maybe there will be new laws in place to prevent it. For the sake of those who live here, I hope so. We ourselves are planning to move in the near future. It may be a year from now, but we are planning to leave this area. We could possibly be moving to Lexington, KY, the very place where we escaped the crisis for one night. But I hope for the sake of those who will remain here, that there will be safeguards in place to keep this from ever happening again. Clean water is a right, it's a right of all people on Earth; but not all people have clean water access. Those who do should do everything they can to protect it. People's safety is more important than money. It's time we all started believing that.
