Photo By Lt. Col. Todd Harrell | Tech. Sgt. Kevin Followay of the 130th Airlift Wing at work in West Virginia National...... read more read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Soldiers and airmen with the West Virginia National Guard, along with Guard members from Ohio, Tennessee and the District of Columbia have been working nonstop to aid citizens of the Kanawha Valley after a chemical spill in the Elk River contaminated the region’s water supply, leaving residents, businesses and hospitals without usable water for days.
The crisis began Jan. 9, when approximately 7,500 gallons of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol spilled into the Elk river, which feeds the intake for West Virginia American Water Company - supplying water to more than 300,000 people.
The flight line of Charleston’s 130th Airlift Wing is serving as a staging area for hundreds of tractor-trailers loaded with bottled water. Trucks are processed through this area by Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel before being dispatched to one of the many water distribution points spread across the nine impacted counties.
In addition to the staging area, the W.Va. National Guard’s Tire Rebuild Facility in Kanawha City is being used as a distribution point.
“We are unloading and reloading water from trucks for distribution,” said Master Sgt. Ryan Powers, operations noncommissioned officer in charge, W.Va. National Guard Special Repair Activities. “We’re using trucks from the 1257th [Transportation Company] to go out to the sites. We had 1.2 million bottles on site yesterday.”
In addition to helping move water across the state, Guard members have been on scene at the water company’s treatment plant helping officials test and track chemical levels in both raw and finished water sources.
The West Virginia National Guard’s 35th Civil Support Team, along with members of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package and CST personnel from two other states plus the District of Columbia, have been working around-the-clock sampling water from various points throughout the affected area.
“We’re running tests and compiling all of the samples,” said Army Maj. Walter Hatfield, CERF-P operations officer. “The CERF-P has been on site since [the night of Jan. 10]. Members have been analyzing samples hourly since the contamination issue first arose.”
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have indicated that water levels must be at one part per million before a “do not use” order can be lifted, Hatfield said, adding that West Virginia American Water officials say system flushing can begin once that level has been maintained for a length of time.
After extensive testing, officials indicated chemical levels at the company’s intake valves were testing at less than the required 1ppm. With that information in hand, the water company has begun lifting the “do not use” water ban.
System flushing began at the water company and with area hospitals. Officials are releasing a methodical, area-based flushing pattern for residents, which includes emptying hot water tanks and running all water-consuming appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and ice makers. Officials state that the zoned setup is critical so that plumbing systems do not become overwhelmed, creating additional problems.
This systematic clearing of pipes may take several days, and Guard members are prepared to remain on duty to supply those waiting their turn with fresh, clean water.
“This is what our mission is about … helping the men and women who live in our own communities,” said Maj. Gen. James A. Hoyer, West Virginia adjutant general. “Our soldiers and airmen live here and work here. These are our neighbors and our own families. We understand just what is at stake.”
Hoyer went on to emphasize the role of the National Guard as an effective, yet low-cost option to take care of issues that impact the homeland.
“The mission that these CERF and CST members are out here performing is a unique capability to the National Guard,” Hoyer said. “We have soldiers and airmen who have backgrounds in these types of events in their civilian jobs as well as their military occupations. That is something only the National Guard can provide.”
While the scenarios may differ, there is nothing entirely unique about the mission that the men and women of the West Virginia National Guard are currently performing.
They have been called upon dozens of times over the past decade to respond to natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, multiple snowstorms and floods, as well as the derecho in 2012. Soldiers and airmen of the National Guard have been there to answer the call to defend, protect and care for their communities.
| Date Taken: | 01.15.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 01.17.2014 14:54 |
| Story ID: | 119314 |
| Location: | CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 243 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Guard members work to support community during water crisis, by SGT Anna-Marie Ward, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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