Chemical spill declared federal disaster in US

Bottled water was distributed from Maryland in West Virginia on Friday after a chemical spill in the Elk River in Charleston contaminated the water supply for as many as 300,000 people in nine counties. The federal government on Friday joined the state in declaring a state of emergency for much of the southwest section of the state. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin urged water customers to stop using water for everything but flushing toilets and fighting fires. Schools were also closed in five counties. The spill occurred on Thursday when a foaming agent used in the coal preparation process leaked from a tank at Freedom Industries and overran a containment area in the capital.