In Charleston, Business Interruption Losses from Chemical Spill Take Toll

Restaurants and storefronts are buzzing again in West Virginia’s capital city of Charleston, but many still haven’t filled a financial hole after chemicals sullied their running water and forced them to close several days in January. “I don’t foresee ever recouping it,” said Deno Stanley, owner of Adelphia Sports Bar & Grille in Charleston. Among the tree-lined cluster of small businesses on Capitol Street, springtime foot traffic is up at Adelphia. Stanley said out-of-towners are back, and so is customer confidence. It’s a welcome change, Stanley said, after Adelphia started the year by losing $38,000 in sales over eight days due to the spill.