Ashland city commissioner Cheryl Spriggs says the recent chemical spill in nearby Charleston, West Virginia that contaminated the regional water supply was “a wake-up call”.
Spriggs says Ashland took immediate action to safeguard its water from the Ohio River by shutting down its system and switching to its reserve supply. She says intake valves were closed until the chemical passed the Boyd County community as it continuing flowing up the river.
Although she applauds the city’s response, Spriggs says, Ashland needs to improve its emergency communications.
“So many of the people didn’t know what was going on. I lot of people did not get the paper, even though we had it there on all kinds of social media. I mean, we really need to have a plan, a really good plan, and I think that includes having a dedicated phone line.” –Cheryl Spriggs
Spriggs wants the city to develop a better plan for keeping citizens informed during emergencies.
