CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia American Water Company issued a statement Wednesday evening in response to the federal criminal indictments issued earlier in the day in connection with the Jan. 9 chemical speak that impacted WVAWC’s Kanawha Valley Plant in Charleston.
The statement forwarded by water company spokesperson Laura Jordan:
“On behalf of our customers, West Virginia American Water appreciates the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and the EPA to hold the responsible parties accountable for the Freedom Industries spill. As Mr. Goodwin stated, the indictments brought forward by his office today send a clear and powerful message about the importance of our water supply. We believe that vigorous enforcement of the Clean Water Act and other environmental regulations is imperative to protecting public water supplies and public health and avoiding incidents like the Freedom Industries spill which, as Mr. Goodwin mentions, was completely preventable with proper maintenance and secondary containment.”
WVAWC’s plant is less than a mile downstream from where the leak occurred.