By Kris Maher
The company at the center of the chemical spill in Charleston,
W.Va., that contaminated tap water for 300,000 people earlier this
month confirmed Wednesday that a previously unidentified chemical
was also in the storage tank that leaked.
Under order from state authorities, Freedom Industries Inc.
disclosed the tank that leaked on Jan. 9 contained a small
percentage of a proprietary chemical mixture called "PPH,
stripped." Previously, officials believed the tank contained only
Crude MCHM, which is used to clean coal.
Freedom President Gary Southern described PPH as a "hydrophobic
glycol ether" added as an "extender" for Crude MCHM. A material
safety data sheet provided by the company to the West Virginia
Department of Environmental Protection described the substance as a
proprietary blend dubbed "PPH, stripped."
"Our records and internal investigations indicate that there
were no other materials in Tank No. 396 at the time of release,"
Mr. Southern wrote.
The presence of a second chemical--and one that was unknown
until 12 days after the spill--raised new concerns among residents
about potential health effects of the contamination. Tap water in
the state capital of Charleston and the surrounding region tap was
off-limits for drinking, bathing, cooking and other common uses for
as many as nine days.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said in an email released
by a spokeswoman for Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on Wednesday that there
was limited information available about any potential danger of
PPH. Safety data provided to authorities by the manufacturer, Dow
Chemical Co., indicated PPH has a lower toxicity than MCHM, the CDC
said.
A spokeswoman for Dow Chemical didn't respond to requests for
comment or to provide a material safety data sheet. Crude MCHM is
believed to cause skin and eye irritation but not much is known
about its long-term health effects on people.
A Freedom safety document on "PPH, stripped" listed skin
irritation and serious eye irritation as health hazards. The safety
document, dated October, said the product used by Freedom isn't
reported to have any carcinogenic effects. It also listed the
likely route of exposure as skin and eye contact and
inhalation.
Previously, officials had estimated that about 7,500 gallons of
Crude MCHM had leaked into the Elk River and then into a water
distribution system owned by West Virginia American Water Co.
After Mr. Southern told state regulators Tuesday PPH was also in
the tank, DEP officials ordered the company to report all chemicals
in the tank by 4 p.m. Wednesday.
In a letter, Mr. Southern said the state DEP that the tank
contained 88.5% Crude MCHM, 7.3% PPH and 4.2% water by weight. He
estimated the amount of PPH in the tank at roughly 300 gallons.
State officials have been testing for PPH in the water system
and have said that early tests haven't found the chemical. The
water company said in a statement it believes its treatment system
would filter out PPH.
Write to Kris Maher at kris.maher@wsj.com
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