West Virginia Chemical Spill

The West Virginia Chemical Spill has caused public concern over current laws regulation regarding chemicals being produced. To summarize, a major chemical used to wash coal, spilt into the Elk River and has caused major problems for thousands of people around the area.

Steve Helber/Associated Press

Even the Environmental Defense Fund, in their statement regarding this situation, didn't have much to say except that a lot of individuals failed to say just how dangerous the chemicals were and are to people over the short and long term.

The Environmental Defense Fund did however shed light on just how unregulated substances, like 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, are throughout the US. In the EDF's response to the spill, they said:

"The sad truth is this chemical is one of tens of thousands of chemicals on the market today with little or no safety data.  MCHM is one of the 62,000 chemicals that were already in use when TSCA, our nation’s main chemical safety law, was passed in 1976.  All of these chemicals were grandfathered by TSCA:  That means they were simply presumed to be safe, and EPA was given no mandate to determine whether they are actually safe.  Even to require testing of these chemicals under TSCA, EPA must first provide evidence that the chemical may pose a risk – a toxic Catch-22."