Sen. Rockefeller Requests Increased Funding for Chemical Safety Board

U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller is seeking more funding for the U.S. Chemical Safety Board following a spill in West Virginia that tainted the water supply for about 300,000 residents.

Rockefeller says in a news release that he has asked the Senate Appropriations Committee to increase the board’s fiscal 2014 budget by nearly $1.5 million. The additional funding would boost the board’s budget from $10.5 million to nearly $11.5 million.

Rockefeller says the board’s budget was cut by nearly $2 million by the House earlier this year.

The board is one of several federal agencies investigating last Thursday’s spill in the Elk River in Charleston.

About 35,000 West Virginia American Water in Charleston have been given the green light to resume using tap water, as long as they flush their systems.