"A Year Later: Chemical Spills Continue, And So Do Questions"

"The 13 white tanks that lined the Elk River just north of downtown Charleston are all gone now. Bankrupt Freedom Industries ripped them apart, tore them down and sold them for scrap.

A year ago today, one of those tanks — Number 396 — leaked 10,000 gallons of chemicals into the Elk. For hours, state and local officials, along with West Virginia American Water, downplayed the incident. The water was still safe to drink, officials told residents. Nothing to worry about, they said.

By late afternoon, that all changed."

Ken Ward Jr. reports for the Charleston Gazette January 8, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"FBI Says Freedom Knew About Containment Problems" (Wall Street Journal)

"Three Former Freedom Officials Charged In Chemical Spill Plead Not Guilty" (AP/WCHS-TV)

"One Year Later, West Virginia Water Crisis Still a Fresh Memory" (Aljazeera America)