As business leaders across the United States, we raise our voices in support of the businesses of West Virginia for stronger regulation at the state and federal level. The recent chemical spill into West Virginia’s Elk River has devastated local businesses and local communities including the cut off of the water supply to over 300,000 West Virginians. The spill from the Freedom Industries facility has already imposed over $61 million dollars of economic damage, which is roughly 24 percent of the annual economic activity in the nine counties affected by the spill. The chemical spill was the third chemical accident to occur in the Kanawha River valley within the last five years.
We support West Virginia business leaders’ call to improve state regulations to instill confidence in the WV public, tourists, businesses, and others needed for a healthy economy. We support their recommendations to protect the interests of businesses heavily impacted by this chemical spill, promote confidence in the state’s infrastructure and create certainty in the local economy.