Two years have already passed since thousands of gallons of a coal-cleaning agent leaked into the drinking water supply of 3,000 West Virginians. And just recently, six former Freedom Industries officials are set to be sentenced this month on pollution charges.
According to Herald Star Online, the first to be charged with polluting the drinking water of the locals are ex-Freedom plant manager Michael Burdette on Monday and environmental consultant Robert Reynolds on Wednesday. Each of the ex-execs faces up to a year in prison and a minimum $2,500 fine.
The Southern is allegedly facing the most ruthless penalty. In fact, it will face up to three years in prison and $300,000 in fines.
But then, residents seem to have never forgotten of the incident that happened two years ago. It began when a licorice odor was noticed along the Elk River in Charleston the morning of January 9, 2014. The smell had been linked to a leak of the coal-cleaning agent MCHM at a series of Freedom Industries tanks less than 2 miles upstream from West Virginia American Water's water supply, as recalled by ABC NEWS.
Moreover, the Ex-U. S. Attorney Booth Goodwin stated that the spill was "a wake-up call" to the vulnerability of tap water systems, as noted by the WV Public Broadcasting. Goodwin stated, "We need to ask ourselves if we're any safer in terms of our water infrastructure than we were in January of 2014." He also added, "I think it's something that certainly not only tank owners need to be concerned about, but the folks who provide our lifeblood - our water."
Meanwhile, Freedom Industries are facing up to $900,000 in fines. And after charging two ex-execs, sentencings are also later this month for former Freedom Industries officials, including William Tis, Charles Herzing, Dennis Farrell and, lastly, Gary Southern.
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