The Political Foundation Behind America's Worst Tap Water Contamination

NPR host Linda Wertheimer interviews Evan Osnos about his current New Yorker piece on the Jan. chemical spill into W. Va.'s Elk River. His focus is less on the spill and more on the influence of Big Coal in government and how it contributed to it.

3 minute read

April 4, 2014, 6:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


Wertheimer asks Evan Osnos, "You describe a state where the regulations covering the coal industry, related water quality centers, all of that, have been weakened. How did it happen?"

[Note: the chemical that spilled, MCHM—4-methylcyclohexane methanol, is used to wash coal.]

For those who thought, "Must have been the work of a Republican governor" like we recently saw in North Carolina, think again. Pollution and lax environmental regulations are nonpartisan.

Osnos, an investigative journalist who won the Pulitzer prize in 2008, answers. "Over the course of the last few years, the elected leaders of West Virginia have said that they will resist what they called the Obama administration's war on coal [disputed by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy]. As an example, senior members of the Environmental Protection Department have told me that the governor, Joe Manchin, from 2005 to 2010..." Wertheimer interupts. "A Democrat." Osnos continues.

A Democrat who believes very strongly in the importance of coal. He told the environmental inspectors very clearly that he didn't want them to be focused most on enforcement. He wanted them focused most on what he called compliance assistance, which was not issuing fines and violations but is, in fact, encouraging companies to do better. As a result, the federal government came in and said that West Virginia's environmental enforcement had become so lax, that they were no longer able to prevent even what was described as willful intentional violations from happening.

Once again, sounds a lot like North Carolina under the current governor, Pat McCrory, as we wrote in "Regulators Told Not To Do Their Job."

Manchin was succeeded by Earl Ray Tomblin, also a Democrat. From The New Yorker:

The state has become a standard-bearer for pro-business, limited-government conservatism. The day before the chemical spill, the governor, Earl Ray Tomblin, delivered his State of the State address, criticizing federal environmental regulators and vowing, “I will never back down from the E.P.A., because of its misguided policies on coal.” 

One of the most insightful parts of his article is explained in response to Wertheimer's question: "Despite the power of big coal, this piece does seem to have a sort of subtext which suggests that this might be coal's last stand."

What's really interesting about what happened in West Virginia is that you have an industry that is shrinking economically in America. But as it shrinks, it has organized itself politically and it's become a more potent force in state government and ultimately also in federal government. You know, what the coal industry has done is transformed the conversation about energy into a cultural issue.

Osnos goes on to reveal that the coal industry is responsible for only three percent of the state's labor force, but you'd never know it; a testament to the success of Big Coal in "altering people's perceptions" about the importance of the industry to the state.

Listen to the NPR report or read the transcript.

Thursday, April 3, 2014 in NPR Morning Edition

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight