EPA to Gauge Safety of Inhaling W.Va. Spill Chemical

Shortly after the chemical MCHM leaked from a Freedom Industries tank and into the Elk River in January, residents started complaining of a liquorice smell.

Despite those complaints, no agency ever looked into the airborne dangers of the chemical, until now.

The Environmental Protection Agency says it plans to figure out the effects of breathing in MCHM, and to come up with a safety standard when it comes to breathing the chemical's fumes.

Officials with West Virginia's Department of Environmental Protection say the new air monitoring method could help on several levels, including when residents complain about the chemical's odor at their homes.

Kanawha-Charleston Health Department Director Dr. Rahul Gupta says he's been pushing for federal officials to come up with an inhalation standard for MCHM for months now.