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New York Times: Appalachia's Sacrifice (drinking water)
Appalachia’s SacrificeNew York Times editorial, Ron Rash, 11/18/16
...
The poisoning of Appalachia’s drinking water — from mining runoff, industrial waste, worn-out pipes, a whole confluence of causes — isn’t a new story. A 2009 New York Times article about the effects of tainted water on a community near Charleston, W.Va., details the effects of any contact with the water.
It’s worth quoting the article, which begins with an account of one family’s battle with bad water, at length: “Her youngest son has scabs on his arms, legs, and chest where the bathwater — polluted with lead, nickel and other heavy metals — caused painful rashes. Neighbors apply special lotions after showering because their skin burns. Tests show that their tap water contains arsenic, barium, lead, manganese and other chemicals at concentrations federal regulators say could contribute to cancer and damage the kidneys and nervous system.”
In this case, there was a happy ending. Because of a lawsuit against the county, residents received “regular deliveries of clean drinking water, stored in coolers or large blue barrels.” And eventually, pressure from the community forced the state government to build a new pipeline to deliver better water. But it was an isolated success; politicians and the national news media have mostly ignored Appalachia’s water crisis.
This lack of outrage should be especially striking given the rest of the nation’s long-term economic debt to Appalachia, a major source of coal. Perhaps that is part of the problem. America wants cheap energy, and if the region’s inhabitants must suffer to provide it, better that than a higher utility bill.
The poisoning of Appalachia’s drinking water — from mining runoff, industrial waste, worn-out pipes, a whole confluence of causes — isn’t a new story. A 2009 New York Times article about the effects of tainted water on a community near Charleston, W.Va., details the effects of any contact with the water.
It’s worth quoting the article, which begins with an account of one family’s battle with bad water, at length: “Her youngest son has scabs on his arms, legs, and chest where the bathwater — polluted with lead, nickel and other heavy metals — caused painful rashes. Neighbors apply special lotions after showering because their skin burns. Tests show that their tap water contains arsenic, barium, lead, manganese and other chemicals at concentrations federal regulators say could contribute to cancer and damage the kidneys and nervous system.”
In this case, there was a happy ending. Because of a lawsuit against the county, residents received “regular deliveries of clean drinking water, stored in coolers or large blue barrels.” And eventually, pressure from the community forced the state government to build a new pipeline to deliver better water. But it was an isolated success; politicians and the national news media have mostly ignored Appalachia’s water crisis.
This lack of outrage should be especially striking given the rest of the nation’s long-term economic debt to Appalachia, a major source of coal. Perhaps that is part of the problem. America wants cheap energy, and if the region’s inhabitants must suffer to provide it, better that than a higher utility bill.
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