ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION
STORY: Reiterating the "do not use this water" order, West Virginia American Water Company President Jeff McIntyre said at a news conference, "We cannot provide a timeline" as to how long it will take to resolve a chemical spill that left up to 300,000 people without tap water.
President Barack Obama issued an emergency declaration for the state of West Virginia on Friday, ordering federal aid in the aftermath of a chemical spill that has left up to 300,000 people without tap water, closed schools and businesses.
The spill of 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol, a chemical used in the coal industry, occurred Thursday on the Elk River in Charleston, West Virginia's capital and largest city, upriver from the eastern U.S. state's largest water treatment plant.
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency for nine counties and health officials have advised residents to use tap water only for flushing toilets and fighting fires.
