Freedom Industries: Only two chemicals in leaking storage tank

Freedom Industries told the state environmental officials Wednesday night that only two chemicals were in the storage tank that leaked into the Elk River Jan. 9.

The Department of Environmental Protection ordered the response after Freedom Industries president Gary Southern revealed Tuesday the chemical PPH was in the tank along with the previously known crude MCHM. That information came 12 days after the leak sparked a water emergency for residents in nine counties.

State DEP Secretary Randy Huffman said having the revelation this far into the water emergency was “completely unacceptable.”

“We have ordered Freedom to reveal any other information they have regarding the contents of the tank that leaked,” Huffman said. “Having to order them to provide such obvious information is indicative of the continued decline of their credibility.”

Southern sent a letter to the DEP by the 4 p.m. Wednesday deadline, explaining that PPH is added as an “extender” to crude MCHM, which is available only in limited, sporadic quantities.

Southern said the tank had 88.5 percent crude MCHM and 7.3 percent PPH.

West Virginia American Water Company officials also announced Wednesday afternoon that ongoing water sampling shows “non-detectable or extremely low levels of MCHM in water samples gathered systematically through the Kanawha Valley water distribution system.”