The incident was discovered Thursday evening when a 48,000-gallon storage tank at Freedom Industries near Charleston leaked 4-methylcyclohexene methanol, or MCHM, into the Elk River, which in turn went to a public water intake facility.

The amount of spilled MCHM, which washes impurities from coal before end uses such as coal-fired generation, is not yet known.

West Virginia American Water officials, which owns the intake facility, have ordered a water shutoff for residents of Boone, Cabell, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Putnam, and Roane counties.

That stoppage was still in effect Monday morning.

Sierra Club officials said that those in the state’s coalfield were faced with the dangers of water pollution from coal mining and pollution every day.

“This spill pulls the curtain back on the coal industry's widespread and risky use of dangerous chemicals, and is an important reminder that coal-related pollution poses a serious danger to nearby communities,” it said.

“Americans, and the people of West Virginia, deserve greater accountability and transparency about coal industry practices.”

State governor Earl Ray Tomblin, who issued a state of emergency for the region late Thursday night, announced Friday morning that the White House approved a federal emergency declaration to help with the situation.

Freedom Industries also confirmed the spill late Friday, noting that they have been working with officials to rectify the situation.

“Since the discovery of the leak, safety for residents in Kanawha and surrounding counties has been Freedom Industries' first priority,” president Gary Southern said.

“We have been working with local and federal regulatory, safety and environmental entities, including the DEP, Coast Guard, Army Corp of Engineers and Homeland Security, and are following all necessary steps to fix the issue.

He also noted that determining the amount of MCHM spilled is also still being examined.

“The first priority was safety, containment and cleanup,” he said.