August 2014, Vol. 241, No. 8
Features
Protecting Our Water Keep Chemicals In The Tank
Recent events in West Virginia have shown that our water supply is in jeopardy of contamination from leaks or overfills of storage and processing tanks (Figure 1) at chemical, petroleum and water/wastewater facilities. In Charleston, WV, a tank containing 4-methylcyclohexane methanol leaked, causing contamination of the Elk River, which left more than 300,000 people without drinking water for at least five days. The total effect of the spill may not be known for months or even years. The company that owned the storage facility where the tank leaked – Freedom Industries – faces at least 31 lawsuits, along with state and federal investigations. As a result, the compa

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