Four days after the chemical 4 methylcyclohexane methanol spilled into the Elk River, residents were given the green light to start drinking the water-that it was safe.
On Jan. 15, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced that pregnant women should not drink the water until all traces of the chemical was gone from the water. Bottled water was their best choice.
Residents that have been affected by the spill do not know what to believe. According to Good Morning America, Kayrouz, a 38 year old mother of one, with another on the way, asked, “If it is not safe for me to drink pregnant, is it safe for my 55-pound daughter to drink or our pets?” She said that the announcement is very “misleading” and how are they to believe what the authorities say.
Pregnant women are worried about what kind of defects their child could have because they thought the water was safe to drink.
The chemical leaked out of a 40-gallon tank that is managed by Freedom Industries, and had a bad odor about it. Symptoms include nausea, rashes, and a burning sensation.
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