This is a picture of a man drinking contaminated water
Toxic Waters:
Near Charleston, W. Va the residents know not to drink the tap water as it could be very costly to their health. Children have burns in places the bath water has touched them. It was discovered that local coal companies were pumping chemicals into the ground and it was affecting the groundwater. There was found to be lead, nickel, and arsenic in the tap water. While it was easy to find evidence that the coal company was mostly responsible, but state regulators never punished them. In the past 5 years many companies and manufacture plants have disregarded the law and failed to show what was found in the tap water testing. However, they are still not punished, not even by the EPA who doesn't want to intervene.
Opinion/Reflection
I think something should be done immediately to hold the coal company accountable for their actions. They have gotten away with it for far too long, often harming the residents in the area. The amount of chemicals found in the water was dangerously high and could sometimes cause birth defects or cancer and this is unacceptable anywhere, let alone 20 minutes outside a states capital. The need for punishment is obvious, but the need to fix the problem is more important.
Questions:
1. Should the coal company be punished for polluting the waters? Why or why not.
2. Why do you think the EPA refused to intervene?
3. What can be done to fix this problem?
The Coal Companies should be held accountable for damage caused to the public. This could also take a turn for the worse because more people are buying bottled water which could have more contaminants and costs more. This may have a negative impact on the economy. Coal is one of the main exports in this state. If the company were to be fined this could also hinder the economy. The EPA could be scared for this exact reason. I found this article about the people of West Virginia and the EPA: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/28/earl-ray-tomblin-west-virginia_n_1386112.html?ref=green
ReplyDeletebecause the picture isnt working...http://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/blogimages/leadwater.jpg
ReplyDeleteOpinion/Reflection: I am very surprised nothing has been done to resolve this issue, and something should be done immediately. There are many theories to how water is being contaminated, but this is an obvious effect. Chemicals being pumped into everyday water being used for many reasons is unacceptable and something needs to be done. Coal companies must find another way to rid of their chemicals. This may be hard for them, also.
ReplyDeleteExpansion:Referring to the question asking what can be done to fix this problem, I think that the first thing that needs to be done is to confront the coal companies that are found sneaking chemicals into our water. Then, the companies must find a different way to get rid of the chemicals.