Why does W. Va. want MORE toxic water pollution?

It wasn't that long ago when the issue of water pollution in West Virginia was front-page national news. You may remember the incident that happened just over three years ago, in January 2014, involving a company called Freedom Industries. To paraphrase the old Janice Joplin song, "freedom" was just another word, in this case, for corporate neglect. A holding tank filled with crude 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol, a highly toxic chemical used to wash coal, leaked and emptied undetected into the Elk River, the main source of tap water for a populated nine-county area. The news that 7,500 gallons of the hazardous chemical has spilled along the river bank caused local officials to ban water usage for 300,000 people in the region, which includes the state capital of Charleston. More than 700 people, nonetheless, reported symptoms such as nausea or skin rashes, and several were hospitalized. Officials said the episode exposed major holes in the way that chemicals are inspected and regulated in West Virginia. And eventually, state lawmakers in the Mountaineer State sprung into action. This week in Charleston, the West Virginia legislature is debating a bill that -- wait for it -- would clear the way for MORE toxic water pollution in their ...