West Virginia National Guard provides support to Big Sandy River oil spill

By Capt. Holli Nelson | West Virginia National GuardJanuary 12, 2018

West Virginia National Guard provides support to Big Sandy River oil spill
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Shay Rich and Sgt. Nick Thongdara of the West Virginia National Guard's 35th Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction) collect water samples from the Big Sandy River just south of Kenova in Wayne County, W.Va. Jan. 11, 201... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
West Virginia National Guard provides support to Big Sandy River oil spill
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Capt. Josh Dodson and Staff Sgt. Shay Rich of the West Virginia National Guard's 35th Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction) deliver water samples from the Big Sandy River to the West Virginia American Water Company in Huntington,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

KENOVA, W.V. - The West Virginia National Guard's 35th Civil Support Team is providing support to local responding agencies working an oil spill from a sunken towboat along the Big Sandy River.

The 35th CST is providing personnel for environmental sampling and monitoring as a part of their on-scene support to the U. S. Coast Guard.

"The West Virginia National Guard is committed to assisting our civil authorities as they work through this response effort," said Maj. Gen. James A. Hoyer, the Adjutant General of the WVNG. "This is a core component of what we do in the National Guard - help out our citizens and partner agencies throughout the State whenever they need us."

The 35th CST supports the State of West Virginia and civil authorities in a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High Yield Explosives (CBRNE) domestic incident by identifying unknown agents or substances at a site, assessing current and project consequences, advising on response measures and assisting with the appropriate request for additional state and federal support.

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