Associated Press Published

Trial Delay Sought in Chemical Spill Trial

Freedom Industries

The former owner of a chemical company that fouled drinking water used by hundreds of thousands of West Virginia residents wants his trial delayed.

Attorneys for Charles Herzing cite the heft of documents they must review and Herzing’s scheduled New Zealand vacation.

The Daily Mail reports that the request filed Tuesday seeks a June trial date.

The filing said the government has provided nearly 3 million pages of documents that must be reviewed.

The filing said an assistant attorney general does not object to the delay.

The chemical spill in January 2014 resulted in a tap-water ban for 300,000 people for days.

Four other Freedom executives face federal charges stemming from the spill.