Media and ‘undone science’ in West Virginia’s Elk River chemical spill

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn January 2014, a storage tank in Charleston, West Virginia leaked 10,000 gallons of an industrial coal-cleansing chemical called ‘crude MCHM’ into the Elk River, poisoning the water supply of 300,000 residents. During the ensuing water crisis, conflict quickly developed over the risks of chemical exposure. Few studies on crude MCHM existed, leaving large knowledge gaps about the potential health consequences for residents in the affected area. This study utilizes newsprint coverage of the water crisis to analyze the media’s role in environmental and scientific disputes. Specifically, I examine how news actors can influence scientific knowledge production during times of crisis. Findings indicate that, by challenging official knowledge and introducing alternative epistemic forms, the media revealed knowledge gaps in the official science and played a crucial role in directing the research agenda. Implications for future work on the democratization of science during environmental disasters are discussed.