News
Feds: No More Animal Tests On Spilled Chemical
By: Associated Press
Posted on:
Federal officials aren't granting a state request for more animal tests for a chemical that spilled into West Virginia's largest drinking water supply in January.
In February, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin asked for additional tests to determine the long-term health effects of consuming, breathing or coming in contact with the spilled chemical, crude MCHM.
In a March 13 letter made public Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told state health officials it believed long-term effects were unlikely. CDC described plans only to track trends with resources like birth defects surveillance, cancer registries and health systems data.
State officials are still lobbying for study money.
After the spill, CDC used limited lab research to determine a chemical level safe enough to lift a days-long tap-water ban for 300,000 people.