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Home > National (U.S.) > Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV)

"One Injured, One Missing at Southwest Pa. Gas Well Fire" [1]

"DILLINER, Pa. -- One worker has been injured and another is missing after a natural gas well explosion and fire in southwestern Pennsylvania, within miles of the West Virginia border."

Disasters [2]
Energy & Fuel [3]
Public [4]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [5]
Source: AP [6], 02/12/2014

"'Significant' Slurry Spill Blackens Kanawha Creek" [7]

"CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- More than 100,000 gallons of coal slurry poured into an eastern Kanawha County stream Tuesday in what officials were calling a 'significant spill' from a Patriot Coal processing facility."

Disasters [2]
Energy & Fuel [3]
Pollution [8]
Water & Oceans [9]
Public [4]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [5]
Source: Charleston Gazette [10], 02/12/2014

"Hearing Provides Few Answers on Water Safety" [11]

"CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When the lengthy prepared statements were over, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., opened the question-and-answer session with a predictable query: Is the drinking water supply that serves 300,000 West Virginians safe?"

Disasters [2]
Environmental Health [12]
Pollution [8]
Water & Oceans [9]
Public [4]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [5]
Source: Charleston Gazette [13], 02/11/2014

A Month After Toxic Spill, West Virginians Face ‘Crisis of Confidence’ [14]

"Weeks after health authorities had told West Virginians that their water was safe to drink again following a toxic spill, schools in Charleston sent students home abruptly last week when students and staff members detected the telltale licorice odor of the leaked chemical."

Chemicals [15]
Water & Oceans [9]
Environmental Politics [16]
Environmental Health [12]
Public [4]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [5]
Source: NY Times [17], 02/10/2014

"West Virginia Doctors Advising Some Patients Not To Drink Tap Water" [18]

"Warnings come despite federal health officials declaring water was free from chemical contamination after January 9 spill."

Chemicals [15]
Environmental Health [12]
Water & Oceans [9]
Public [4]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [5]
Source: AP [19], 02/06/2014

EWG Database Helps Public, Journos Find Drinking Water Threats [20]

While EPA and local utilities make much data available online, the Environmental Working Group has compiled a tap water database that is much easier to use. It gathers data from the states as well as from EPA, and compiles city-by-city rankings of the best and worst drinking water quality. It also explains the health significance of contaminants and lists contaminants not regulated by EPA.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [21]
Topics on the Beat: 
Water & Oceans [9]
Technology [22]
Laws & Regulations [23]
Health [24]
Region: 
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [5]
Visibility: 
Public [4]

CDC, EPA Respond to SEJ Complaints about Press Office Obstacles [25]

After the SEJ and the Society of Professional Journalists complained January 20, 2014, about federal agency press office stonewalling in the face of the Charleston, WV, drinking water disaster, the agencies responded. Read the text of their replies here.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [21]
Topics on the Beat: 
Water & Oceans [9]
Environmental Politics [16]
Disasters [2]
Region: 
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [5]
Visibility: 
Public [4]
February 4, 2014

Senate EPW Hearing: “Examination of the Safety & Security of Drinking Water Supplies Following the Central WV Drinking Water Crisis" [26]

The Senate Environment & Public Works committee's Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife is holding a hearing on the recent water disaster in West Virginia. The event will be webcast beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET, and should be archived for viewing afterwards. 

News Events & Press Conferences [27]
Visibility: 
Public [4]
Topics on the Beat: 
Water & Oceans [9]
Government [28]
Disasters [2]
Region: 
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [5]

"Tests Said to Find Formaldehyde in West Virginia Tap Water" [29]

"Tests on the water supply in Charleston, W. Va., a week after a chemical spill tainted the city’s water system turned up traces of formaldehyde, suggesting that 'there’s a lot more we don’t know' about the consequences of the spill, an environmental expert told a state legislative committee on Wednesday."

Chemicals [15]
Environmental Health [12]
Water & Oceans [9]
Public [4]
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [5]
Source: NY Times [30], 01/30/2014

Drinking Water Crisis Reveals Knowledge Gaps [31]

You read about the 300,000 West Virginians who don't know if they are drinking safe water — and ask "Could it happen here?" The answer is "You betcha!" Environmental journalists have many tools for discovering drinking-water disasters-waiting-to-happen in their own bailiwicks.

SEJ Publication Types: 
WatchDog TipSheet [21]
Topics on the Beat: 
Water & Oceans [9]
Laws & Regulations [23]
Disasters [2]
Chemicals [15]
Region: 
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [5]
National (U.S.) [32]
Visibility: 
Public [4]

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Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/headlines/one-injured-one-missing-southwest-pa-gas-well-fire [2] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [4] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [5] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic [6] http://www.wtrf.com/story/24691233/gas-well-explosion-reported-in-southwest-pa [7] https://www.sej.org/headlines/significant-slurry-spill-blackens-kanawha-creek [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [9] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [10] http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201402110032 [11] https://www.sej.org/headlines/hearing-provides-few-answers-water-safety [12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [13] http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201402100143 [14] https://www.sej.org/headlines/month-after-toxic-spill-west-virginians-face-%E2%80%98crisis-confidence%E2%80%99 [15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [17] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/us/one-month-after-toxic-spill-west-virginians-face-crisis-of-confidence.html [18] https://www.sej.org/headlines/west-virginia-doctors-advising-some-patients-not-drink-tap-water [19] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/05/west-virginia-doctors-drink-tap-water [20] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/ewg-database-helps-public-journos-find-drinking-water-threats [21] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/watchdog-tipsheet [22] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/technology [23] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [24] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [25] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/cdc-epa-respond-sej-complaints-about-press-office-obstacles [26] https://www.sej.org/calendar/senate-epw-hearing-%E2%80%9Cexamination-safety-and-security-drinking-water-supplies-following-centr [27] https://www.sej.org/category/event-types/news-events/press-conferences [28] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [29] https://www.sej.org/headlines/tests-said-find-formaldehyde-west-virginia-tap-water [30] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/30/us/tests-said-to-find-formaldehyde-in-west-virginia-tap-water.html?ref=energy-environment [31] https://www.sej.org/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/drinking-water-crisis-reveals-knowledge-gaps [32] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [33] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic?page=93 [34] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic?page=90 [35] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic?page=91 [36] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic?page=92 [37] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic?page=95 [38] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic?page=96 [39] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic?page=97 [40] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic?page=98 [41] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/mid-atlantic?page=138