We’re the Forgotten People...
"It doesn’t matter whether you put a Republican, whether you put a Democrat, we’re the forgotten people," Indian Creek, West Virginia resident Paul Bradford tells Status Coup on growing water crisis
Hey folks, it’s Jordan.
In our latest report ON-THE-GROUND from coal country West Virginia, I spoke with Wyoming County residents Paul Bradford and Richard Altizer about the ongoing water crisis that has been making residents ill for over a year. As we’ve reported, hundreds of residents who receive their water from private wells have received discolored, HORRID-smelling water that they believe was contaminated as a result of local coal miners breaching the underground aquifier. Residents have been growing sicker—experiencing the same symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and rapid weight loss. Animals have been abruptly dropping dead including dogs, deer, roosters, and fish.
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While touring the backwoods of Indian Creek, I spoke with two residents who have been fighting to get their local, state, and federal politicians to help provide the community—one of the poorest in America—with clean water.
“We’re the forgotten people of West Virginia,” Indian Creek, West Virginia resident Paul Bradford told me. “You see what the Democrats have done for us, we don’t even have water run. Well, then you put the Republicans in there, you see—we don’t have water run. So it doesn’t matter whether you put a Republican, whether you put a Democrat, we’re the forgotten people.”
“We built this country; this area built this country,” Richard Altizer told me.
WATCH INTERVIEW BELOW:
If you’d like to let West Virginia’s politicians know what you think about them allowing corporations to poison an entire community, here’s how to reach them.
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection:
304-926-0440
Governor Jim Justice Office:
304-558-2000
Governor Jim Justice Mansion:
304-558-3588
Senator Joe Manchin:
202-224-3954 (D.C)
304-342-5855 (Charleston WV)
Senator Shelley Moore Capito:
202-224-6472 (D.C)
304-347-5372 (Charleston WV)
Rep. Carol Miller:
202-225-3452 (D.C)
304-250-6177 (Beckley WV)
681-945-6556 (Charleston WV)
This story is going to take a lot more digging and work on my part. Ideally, I will be able to go back there to dig further and talk to more residents. But, to be real: we need to grow our finding to keep covering these stories and funding expensive reporting ON-THE-GROUND. If you can, please support this important reporting.
Jordan