Joe Manchin Blew Off West Virginians Sickened by Poisoned Water: "Don't Call Back"
"He told me that it was a state issue—not a federal issue—and don't call back," West Virginia's Paul Bradford told Jordan about Manchin's office response when he called about his contaminated water
Hey folks, it’s Jordan.
An important interview/report from our recent ON-THE-GROUND reporting trip in Wyoming County West Virginia just dropped on Breaking Points’ YouTube channel (watch below).
I’m grateful, through our partnership, to be able to get this important story—about a major water crisis that’s been ignored by government & media for over a year—out to more eyeballs. I’d like to stay on this important story—and possibly go back to coal country West Virginia to dig even deeper on this story. It takes a lot of resources to fund this kind of sustained ON-THE-GROUND reporting. Please support the ONLY INDEPENDENT outlet doing this kind of work on a continued basis.
While I was in “coal country” West Virginia, I was amazed to see—and smell—discolored and horribly-smelling water in residents’ private water wells and creeks that have been making residents sick for over a year (they believe the original source of the contaminated was local coal mines breaching the underground water aquifer). Residents who get their water from private wells have been suffering from the same symptoms: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and rapid weight loss. Independent water testing has detected high levels of lead, arsenic, manganese, and iron in the well water. One resident, Paul Bradford, shared an infuriating exchange he had with Senator Joe Manchin’s office that crystallized how little actual representation some of the poorest people in America are receiving from corrupt politicians like Manchin.
Bradford, who lives across from contaminated Indian Creek, broke out in rashes from his shower water and witnessed his chickens abruptly die after drinking from his contaminated well water. Seeking help, he called the offices of Senator Joe Manchin to try and obtain help in securing testing of his well water.
“When I asked him to pay for the water, he told me they wouldn’t pay for it,” Bradford told me about an exchange he had with an official in Manchin’s office. “He told me that was a state issue and not a federal issue—and don’t call back.”
Blown away, I responded: “Let me get this straight, Manchin is the Senator of the state of West Virginia, yet they told you that it was a state issue, and not a federal issue, so he couldn’t help you.”
Un…fu*king…believable
It’s no wonder Manchin couldn’t be bothered to care about his constituents ravaged by body rashes, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and rapid weight loss—potentially from contaminated coal water—since he made over $5 million dollars from his coal company in the 2010s alone.
FYI: Manchin, fellow WV Senator Shelley Moore Capito, WV Congresswoman Carol Miller, nor WV Governor Jim Justice have responded to my multiple requests for comment regarding the ongoing water crisis in Wyoming County.
Like I said, this is an important story. Sadly, the people will continue to grow sicker—and suffer in silence—unless we are able to stay on this story and continue to shine a brighter spotlight on it. If you can, please support this reporting.
Jordan