CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State DEP inspectors and Kanawha County emergency managers said white foam found in the Elk River Thursday morning was “completely normal.”
DEP spokesperson Kelley Gillenwater said the substance was spotted upriver from the Freedom Industries site where the Jan. 9 chemical spill occurred. She said West Virginia American Water Company was notified Thursday according to protocol.
Kanawha County emergency officials later said a number of things could cause the foam in the water including oxygen, decomposing leaves or sewage runoff. The foam is something that happens regularly.
WVAWC did take samples and had them tested but spokesperson Laura Jordan said it appears the substance is “naturally occurring foam.”
She added initial test results “indicate no changes to source water quality and no characteristics outside of typical water quality parameters.”
Kanawha County’s emergency management office did use a new map that plots out where chemicals are stored in the county in its response to the incident.