"2014 Elk River chemical spill" — U.S. Army Pvt. Thomas Smith, with the 1257th Transportation Company, West Virginia Army National Guard, fills a water buffalo at the The Summit - Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in Mount Hope, W.Va., Jan. 12, 2014. *National Guardsmen, along with residents of Mount Hope and the Summit Bechtel Reserve Boy Scouts of America (West Virginia), worked together in support of Operation Elk River. The West Virginia National Guard was activated to distribute drinking water and assist residents affected by a chemical spill on the Elk River near Charleston.