‘Freedom Industries’, the company behind the West Virginia chemical spill into the tap water of 300,000 West Virginia residents has admitted that the water is now contaminated with chemical 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol.
West Virginia has less than 1.9 million residents which over the last few days, 300,000 of them have not been able to use their tap water because of a major chemical spill. So far, few people have been hospitalized and several hundred thousands of them remain without water for drinking, bathing or cooking.
The spill happened just few days ago, when 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol (a chemical for processing of coal) leaked into Charleston’s local water supply from a plant located on the Elk River. The plant is owned by a chemical company known as Freedom Industries and according their website "their plant (which spilled the chemical) can process large volumes of the chemical 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol rapidly, and cost effectively."
The mainstream media claims that the West Virginia Water Crisis is nears its end, however the chemical spill could be the beginning of a bigger problem
Despite what the (corporate-owned) mainstream media says, one would wonder about the long-term environmental and health risks of exposure to chemicals like 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol, since 7,500 gallons of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol has been spilled into the Elk River (just a mile upstream from the West Virginia American Water intake system).
Just because there hasn’t immediately been any major news about toxicity of fish, it doesn’t mean that things are safe and back to normal. In fact, 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol is an organic solvent and a light non-aqueous phase liquid that floats on top. It is winter and most fish are hanging out deeper in the water, so that might explain why there hasn’t been a major deaths and toxicity regarding fish.
Also, because there isn’t enough well-documented safety research about 4-methylcyclohexane methanol toxicity, it doesn't mean that there isn't any health risks associated with them. In fact, many industrial solvents (without any safety tests) are widely used in different industries and no one knows exactly what their potential health risks are, because no one is interested in investing any time or money to find out. Skin rashes could be short term health risk of exposure to industrial solvents like 4-methylcyclohexane methanol while chronic diseaes like cancer could very well be the long-term health risks.
The fact is that the West Virginia State and its government are so poor that’s unlikely of them to take any actions necessary, since the guilty party responsible for the spill dominates the employment base in Charleston, West Virginia
In fact, the chemical company, Freedom Industries responsible for the spill, is a major source of job in West Virginia. Other major industries are coal mining and chemical manufacturing. 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol (the chemical that was spilled in water supply of West Virginia residents) is a chemical used in coal industry to get rid of coal impurities (like sulfur) before it’s used as fuel for generating power.
The fact is that industries like mining and chemical manufacturing are essential to West Virginian’s economy and it would be naive of anyone to think that the state government has actually much of a power to regulate these industries.
The poverty rates in West Virginia are just staggering:
West Virginia ranks among the poorest states in the US and about 17.4% of West Virginians live below the poverty line. Families with children are more likely to be poor and in McDowell (West Virginia), 47.5% of families with children were poor in 2010. (Source: http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1909). In terms of the household income, West Virginia is ranked 49th among other 50 states in US, (at $38,482).
Who is behind Freedom Industries?
On December 31st 2013, Freedom Industries merged with three other companies called Etowah River Terminal, Poca Blending and Crete Technologies, a Delaware company. The CEO of Freedom Industries is Gary Southern and he is also the president of a company called Enviromine Inc., which supposedly supplies “environmental chemistries and services” to coal companies.
While the smell of the chemical spill was reported earlier on Thursday, Freedom industries didn’t make any statement until later which was Friday afternoon. According to wvgazette.com , on a 10 minutes news conference, Gary Southern made few remarks about the spill that was in conflict with what government officials has said earlier and while reporters were still shouting questions, his public relations took him away from the reporters.
According to the Charleston Gazette, Freedom Industries was founded in 1992 by Gary Southern and Carl L. Kennedy. Apparently, Carl Kennedy (a well known owner and man-about-town in Charleston) is twice-convicted felon. In 2005, Kennedy was charged for not paying more than $200,000 income taxes and on 1987, he pleaded guilty for selling between 10 and 12 ounces of cocaine.
So far, the most extensive statement coming from anyone with connection to Freedom industries has been from the girlfriend of Freedom Industries executive (Dennis P. Farrell), Kathy Stover-Kennedy. Although Carl Kennedy (the co-founder of Freedom Industries) no longer works at Freedom Industries, Kathy Stover-Kennedy (Carl Kennedy’s ex-wife) has been defending Freedom Industries on her Facebook.
"I'm not asking for anyone's sympathy but a little empathy wouldn't hurt. And just so you know, the boys at the plant made and drank coffee this morning! I showered and brushed my teeth this morning and I am just fine!" Stover-Kennedy wrote on her personal Facebook page.
"There has been criticism from many about how Freedom Industries is handling this," she continued. "Denny is not a spokesperson and has no desire to be. His expertise was much needed elsewhere. If he had taken the time to talk to the numerous media networks, giving statements, he would not have been able to react to the situation and perform his job accordingly. It wasn't his decision to hire a spokesperson and it isn't his job to be one."
There is no shame in chemical, mining or oil companies; since ‘Flag, Freedom and Eagle’ apparently justify everything:
If you land on Freedom Industries website, all you can see on the home page is the word ‘Freedom’ (in capital letters) and the US national emblem, ‘the bald eagle’. While Kathy Stover-Kennedy, ex-wife of a twice-convicted felon (Carl Kennedy who was the founder of Freedom Industries) and current girl friend of Freedom Industries executive (Dennis P. Farrell) seeks ‘empathy and sympathy’ for the company, Freedom Industries spills more than 7,500 gallons of toxic chemical 4-methylcyclohexane methanol into the water supply of 300,000 West Virginian residents.
Apparently, the residents of poor states in America like West Virginia are left with the short end of the stick. Back in 2002, West Virginia residents were informed by the spokesman of West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection that their air was contaminated by the plant of the giant chemical company, DuPont. From 1950s to early 2000, DuPont’s chemical plant was releasing toxic chemical called C8 (PFOA) into air and water of West Virginia and Mid-Ohio valley residents.
Toxic chemical C8 is used in all non-stick products including Teflon and has been linked to high blood pressure in pregnant women, immune system disorder, thyroid, liver problems and higher cholesterol rate, even in children.
All these years, the residents of Ohio and West Virginia have been suffering from many health problems such as kidney and testicular cancer and thyroid disease as result of DuPont chemical plant. A lawsuit back in 2002 required DuPont to remove the chemical C8 from the water supply of the West Virginia residents. However, the failure of DuPont to comply has led to the new lawsuit on the behalf of Ohio and West Virginia residents who have been poisoned for many years.
Companies like DuPont or Freedom Industries free people from one thing: ‘Their LIVES’, Sadly, the word ‘Freedom’ is shoved down our throats, while our drinking water, breathing air and food supply is poisoned with high level of neurotoxins like ‘Neonicotinoid pesticides’, ‘Monsanto’s best selling herbicide, ‘Roundup’, petroleum based products, like ‘Mineral Oil’ and hormone destructive chemicals like ‘BPA’:
Apparently, the ‘Eco-terrorism’ of these companies is justified by the word ‘Freedom’ for ‘Industries’ who poison our dirking water, breathing air and food supply.
In fact, many scientific studies have shown that human blood is contaminated with alarming levels of chemicals found in thousands of consumer products (like paint, cosmetics, plastic bottles or wrapper coatings) and food supply (glyphosate and BT toxin in GM foods and pesticides in conventional foods).
In West Virginia, concern about C8 is mostly about DuPont chemical C8 plant near Parkersburg, which for many decades used the chemical C8 for making Teflon and other non-stick products. Scientists say that residents of West Virginia have very high levels of C8 in their blood, from drinking polluted water and breathing polluted air.
Monsanto’s Bt toxin are now in the blood of 90% of pregnant women and their fetuses. The active ingredient of Monsanto’s best selling herbicide ‘Roundup’ linked to cancer, infertility and organ failure is now found in the urine of cows and our drinking water. To your surprise, US water levels have 7,000 more glyphosate than the amount allowed for animal organ damage.
But since God has blessed America and nowhere else, we can all gather under the ‘Flag’ and celebrate the fact that the poor states in America are totally left on their own and lack access to any resources from the Federal government; and as a result, their entire economy is dependent on Chinese owned factories or predator companies like oil, mining or chemical industries.
Sources:
http://ohiocitizen.org/campaigns/dupont_c8/dupont_c8.html
http://boingboing.net/2014/01/13/the-west-virginia-chemical-spi.html
