Hansen says 'everything' in response to West Virginia water crisis worrisome
In addition to multiple concerns related to the CDC’s safety standards, methodology, and transparency, Hansen said he feels much of the blame falls on the state and the long history of lax oversight this incident exposed. “I still think it’s unbelievable that the West Virginia DEP [Department of Environmental Protection], which administers and enforces the industrial stormwater permit covering this facility, didn’t inspect it and didn’t feel like it was their job to pay any special attention to a site that was storing such large quantities of hazardous chemicals above a drinking water intake.”
Overall, Hansen said “everything” regarding the response to the crisis thus far has concerned him. “The communication about the risks involved and the steps people should take is very poor.”
