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On January 9, 2014, crude MCHM, a chemical used to process coal leaked into the water supply for 300,000 residents across nine West Virginia counties. The drinking water ban for pregnant women lasted nearly one month but mixed messages have left most residents not trusting the safety of their drinking water. Estimates of more than 100,000 people experienced health effects, yet no data exists to understand what the long term health effects will be.It has been reported that the chemical has been found in drinking water in coalfield communities for years. The chemical, grandfathered in under the Toxic Substances Control Act, was legally allowed to be placed on the market without sufficient toxicological data. Current regulations in place allow the chemical to remain on the market today without this data.
Workers and communities -- including vulnerable populations like pregnant women and children -- have a right-to-know how exposure to this chemical can impact them in order to make informed decisions about their health and the health of their families. If this incident had happened in Washington, DC and not West Virginia, many feel the tests would already be underway.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT to help make this happen. Please, do not underestimate the power of your voice. Join People Concerned About Chemical Safety in urging our government to provide toxicological tests needed to understand the largest chemical contamination of a drinking water supply in U.S. history.
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