When it rains, it pours…on the US coal industry. Today a major chemical supplier to coal companies, Freedom Industries, leaked 2,000 – 5,000 gallons of a hazardous chemical – 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol – which contaminated the Elk River and 300,000 Charleston, W. Virginia residents’ drinking water. The situation reportedly forced school and business closures and caused a run on bottled water. After reading this statement from Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, it’s easy to see why:

“Do not drink it. Do not cook with it. Do not wash clothes in it. Do not take a bath in it,” Tomblin said. “For safety, we would ask everyone — this includes restaurants, hospitals, any institutions out there — please do not use any tap water if you’re a customer of West Virginia American Water.

“If you’re going to drink water you should get bottled water.” – As reported by the Charleston Daily Mail