Yes, it happened again. A chemical spill into a river used for public supply. By now, most of you have heard of the chemical spill into the Elk River in the Charleston, West Virginia area that impacted the drinking water supply and left some 300,000 persons without drinking water, water in which to bathe, wash dishes, or wash clothes.

The problem was detected on Wednesday, January 8, and on January 9 was pinpointed to a storage tank near the river located just upstream of the intake of a drinking water plant. The tank, capacity of 48,000 gallons, was found to be leaking 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (MCHM). The last estimate was that 7,800 gallons had escaped into the river.

Scientists don't know much about MCHM. No information is available about whether it's carcinogenic or mutagenic. While not considered fatal to humans, it can affect humans with such symptoms as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, skin irritation or eye irritation. More than 100 people that were exposed to the chemical in their water sought treatment for nausea and vomiting and four were hospitalized in the Charleston area.

So how is MCHM used? Coal is mined near Charleston. MCHM, an organic alcohol, is a foaming agent that is used to wash coal before it is marketed to remove impurities. The coal is crushed, treated with the chemical, and dried.

As of this writing (January 14), the water supply for 75 percent of the affected people is not yet suitable to use. Charleston mayor, Danny Jones, said on NPR today, that the economic loss to his community is, at this point, incalculable. Many schools are still closed. Many other events have been canceled. Businesses that rely on water, like restaurants and bars, have been unable to reopen. Shortages of bottled water and other bottled drinks are still occurring. Declarations of emergency were issued by both West Virginia and federal authorities.

When will it end? With the leak controlled, the MCHM will be diluted as it moves downstream. However, it is still in much of the Charleston water distribution system and it could be several days before home and business owners are able to flush it out.

In the articles I've read about the spill and the resultant activities, until today when mentioned by Mayor Jones, I'd heard nothing about any environmental/ecological impacts. Surely, if the situation was severe enough that people were sickened by their public water supply, there will be impacts on the fauna in the area of the spill and downstream. I'd like to see some estimates of the damage to fish populations in the river. I have another question unrelated to the spill. In the washing process, does MCHM leave a residue on the coal and is that residue potentially harmful for persons that might breathe coal smoke? I've seen nothing about this in any article. It should be explored.

This event is not over, the story is not finished. One report indicated that the leaking tank had not been inspected since the early 1990s was the responsibility of the state. Lawsuits already have been filed against the company owning the tank. Sadly, a disaster like this can happen anywhere and the bottom line is that with regular inspections, likely it could have been avoided.