According to bankruptcy filings, Freedom Industries, wholly owned by Chemstream Holdings Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Friday. Freedom Industries owns the storage facility responsible for leaking up to 7,500 gallons of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (a coal-cleaning chemical also known as crude MCHM) into West Virginia’s Elk River.

Hundreds of thousands of people in nine counties were given orders not to use water for bathing or drinking for days as the company scrambled to clean up, exposing disturbing vulnerabilities in the water supply and a lack of data about hazardous chemicals and where they’re stored. A second site owned by the company was also cited for safety violations shortly after the spill.

Despite the filings, the U.S. attorney’s office in West Virginia told HuffPost that the new development would not have any effect on its ongoing investigation into the leak. Freedom Industries currently owes $3.66 million to its top 20 creditors, including more than $2.4 million in unpaid taxes to the IRS.

$2.4 million in unpaid taxes to the IRS? FREEDUM!11!!

Full story here. huffingtonpost.com