Chemical spill on West Virginia ??

Chemical spill on West Virginia ??

What exactly happened ?  *gasping for air*

 This incident happened on 9^th January 2014 which is just few months ago.  A steel storage tank which is near to Charleston, W.Va , containing crude 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (MCHM) began leaking through a one-inch hole. The chemical was soon seeping into the Elk River, just 1.5 miles upstream of a water –treatment center.

Refer to the map below. Look !  How big the area that is affected by the chemical spill *SHOCK*!!

Residents (referring to the REA AREA) quickly noticed a strange licorice-like odor, and some 300,000 people in nine counties were advised not to drink the water. Hundreds of people in the area have sought medical treatment so far, with symptoms ranging from nausea to rashes, although it's still unclear how many of those cases are related to the water contamination.

As the days went by…. Things got more confusing !

On Jan. 13, West Virginia regulators began lifting the ban on drinking the water (but asked people to flush their pipes first). Yet some uncertainty remained: The CDC initially said that the water would be safe if it had less than 1 part per million of crude MCHM. Then regulators said pregnant women should not drink the water until officials declare it free of any trace of the chemical. Some doctors are still warning that children should avoid the water. More people are still seeking medical treatment. No one knows the full extent of the damage.

I know most of you guys out there must be wondering “what is exactly MCHM???” and why do we know so little about it ? Lemme briefly explain it to you . jeng.. jeng.. jeng…. :P  I presented it with a diagram so that it would be easier for you to understand and make it more fun to read. Isn’t it ? hehe.