>> axelrod: tonight: safe to drink or not? more than a week after the west virginia chemical leak, jeff pegues reports on a town filled with fear. >> as long as i can smell this stuff, i'm not going to use it for anything. >> axelrod: homeowners get their first look at damage from the california wildfire. carter evans on the western drought keeping them on edge. three americans are among the dead in a vicious revenge attack in the heart of afghanistan's capital. charlie d'agata has more on the attack that targeted westerners. and re-deploy. how did this heavy duty military hardware find a second life in small-town america? captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news." >> axelrod: good evening, i'm jim axelrod.

this is a western edition of the broadcast. we begin tonight in west virginia where a chemical spill nine days ago contaminated the water supply in and around charleston. this week 300,000 people are affected by the spill. they were told their water was once again safe enough to drink. one problem: the people there can still smell the chemical odor, so if you were living there, would you think the water was safe enough to drink? here's jeff pegues. >> reporter: late today in buffalo, west virginia, the water company gave residents the all clear again. water restrictions were lifted here on thursday, but then, a day later, the 1,200 residents of this town were advised not drink and eliminate contact with the water when water company tests came back above acceptable levels. now after another round, they say the water's fine. confused? so is gary tucker, who says he doesn't know who or what to believe. and he's the town's mayor. do you trust the water company now? >> no. right now, i don't trust anybody

as far as this water is concerned. i'm not sure they know what they're dealing with. as long as i can smell this stuff, i'm not about to use it for anything. >> reporter: at this distribution center, the bottles keep freezing and the spout on the tanker is to be covered up. it's not clear how harmful the chemical known as m.c.h.m. is. on january 9th, the agent used to clean coal leaked into the water supply of some 300,000 people. while the warnings have lifted, emergency rooms in charleston continue to see patients with rashes and stomachaches, but hospital staff believe some of the cases are fear-driven because people are so concerned. jenni burns is a charleston business owner. >> i'm not cooking with this water. i'm not drinking this water. >> reporter: what is it going to take for you to trust the drinking water here again? >> i'm not really sure. >> reporter: independent researchers are gathering water samples and residents are being advised to flush their pipes as often as possible. andrew whelton is a civil

and environmental engineer. >> plumbing systems are not meant to be stagnant for long periods, and plumbing systems are not meant to be stagnant with contaminated water. >> reporter: the state's top health officials say people here have to trust what science is telling them, that the water is safe, but, jim, officials here still acknowledge that it's difficult to instill confidence when so little is known about the chemical. >> axelrod: jeff pegues in buffalo, west virginia. jeff, thanks very much. lack of water is the problem in 11 states dealing with a dangerous drought. the states slice to the southwest and west, from arkansas to california, have now been designated natural disaster areas. rainfall in wichita fall, texas, is more than seven inches below normal last year. lamar, colorado, was five inches below normal. and san francisco was 17 inches below normal. the drought is making the job of fighting wildfires even more difficult, as we've seen all this week in california. once again, here's carter evans from the front lines. >> when i got out of my house, it was... that hill was on fire.

>> reporter: flames came within inches of terry cuevas's home. you are so fortunate. >> i know. i know. >> reporter: the fire that raged through the hillside of glendora destroyed five homes, but hundreds were directly in its path. despite strong santa ana winds, fire crews worked feverishly to spare them. >> they literally saved our house. i was not expecting our house to be here when i got back. >> reporter: the flames may have died down, but throughout southern california, firefighters remain on high alert. have you ever seen anything like this before? >> no. i haven't. >> reporter: captain brendan ripley is a fire analyst. he says the brush is drier now than it was during peak fire season in september. this is january. this is supposed to be the wettest time of the year. >> yeah. >> reporter: look at this. >> yeah. this should be a nice, green field this time of year but it's not. we haven't moved out of fire season. >> reporter: what would it take to light something like this on fire? >> not much. just a small little ember. unless we get rain, there will be no relief in sight.

>> reporter: but the forecast is grim. on friday california governor jerry brown declared a drought state of emergency. southern california hasn't had a drop of rain all month. rainfall in los angeles in 2013 was the lowest in more than 100 years, all adding to ever- worsening fire conditions. is this the new normal? >> i hope not. >> reporter: governor brown is urging residents to cut water consumption by 20%, but even that will not reduce fire danger, and, jim, while it's calm here right now, those santa ana winds are expected to return early next week. >> axelrod: carter evans at the mercy of the winds in drought- stricken southern california. thank you. now to afghanistan, where 21 people were killed last night when a suicide bomber blew himself up near the entrance of a restaurant popular with foreigners in kabul and then gunmen opened fire inside. among the dead, three americans, one of them identified as 27-

year-old lexi cameraman of chicago. here's charlie d'agata. >> they approached on foot in the middle of a busy friday night, three taliban gunmen determined to kill as many people as they could in a restaurant they knew would be filled with foreigners. interior ministry spokesman sediq sediqi. >> one of them had explosives and he detonated the explosive in front of the gate. and two other attackers were able to get inside the restaurant. >> reporter: 21 people were killed, including 13 foreigners, before the gunmen were finally shot dead by afghan police. the american university of afghanistan confirmed with cbs news that two of its u.s. employees are among the dead. the united nations said four u.n. workers were killed and the international monetary fund lost its top representative in afghanistan. the taliban said they carried out the killings in revenge for

an air strike that killed civilians this week. the attack on the restaurant in the heart of kabul is the deadliest against foreign civilians since the war began. today they buried some of the afghan victims of the attack, including two young newlyweds who had only been married for four months. even in a city that's no stranger to attacks like these, for afghan and foreign civilians alike, kabul has become an even more dangerous place. charlie d'agata, cbs news, london. >> axelrod: president obama's decision to make changes in the surveillance conducted by the national security agency means the government will no longer store massive amounts of americans' phone records. the president announced yesterday the attorney general and intelligence officials now have two months to come up with an alternative, but as nancy cordes reports, all the options have serious drawbacks. >> reporter: right >> reporter: right now the nsa stores about five years' worth

of telephone records on its servers at fort meade in maryland. but after a public outcry, the president says it's time to find a new home for that sensitive data outside the government. >> this will not be simple. >> reporter: the problem, he says, is that intelligence agents will still need to access that data easily when they're tracking potential terrorists. an independent review panel established by the president recommended last month that the records be held by individual service providers, like verizon, at&t and google. those companies have balked at the idea, and not just because of the cost, juan zarate is a former deputy national security adviser for president george w. bush. >> if the telecoms companys have to create portals for the government to be able to access their data, that in and of itself creates problems and challenges and would require checks and balances and auditing and oversight. >> reporter: one alternative the panel proposed was to authorize a specially designated private

organization to collect and store the data, but the president acknowledged that's problematic, too. >> any third party maintaining a single, consolidated database, would be carrying out what's essentially a government function. >> the idea of a third-party consortium or clearing house to house this data sounds good in concept, but the problem is it doesn't exist. >> reporter: none of these options satisfy privacy advocates who say the real issue isn't where this data should be stored but whether it should be stored at all. nancy cordes, cbs news, washington. >> axelrod: later, new tires rolled out at the detroit auto show, and armored vehicles from war zone overseas doing police duty on american streets. those stories when the "cbs evening news" continues. ge gellin' when they're in my shoes, my feet and legs feel less tired.

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>> axelrod: for the last half decade, we have seen plenty of pictures like these, american forces and their armored vehicles designed to protect them in iraq and afghanistan. some of those vehicles are now having a second life here at home. since 1995, the pentagon has given $4 billion worth of military equipment to local police forces, everything from tactical gear to weapons to those mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles known as mraps. >> reporter: warren county, new york, population 65,000 and home to lake george is a wintertime postcard-- peaceful, picturesque and well protected. this september, the sheriff's department took delivery of a fully armored mine resistant vehicle called an m-rap.

the same equipment used by soldiers. shawn lamouree runs the emergency response team. >> i don't expect to see insurgents with r.p.g.s. i don't expect to see roadside bombs. our only concern is people with arms. >> reporter: the vehicle is unarmed, the gun torrent has been removed but the reinforced steel doors and pressurized cab offer protection not afforded by a patrol car. >> i would be remiss doing my job if i didn't prepare for the worst. >> reporter: but york is the county sheriff. >> i'm tasked with protecting the public and protecting my people that. this accomplishes both of those goals at no taxpayer money. >> reporter: the $650,000, 5 mile per gallon mrap and this humvee came free of charge through a program that transferred surplus equipment to state and local police departments. nearly 200 law enforcement

agencies added armor vehicles to their fleets in 2013. last november the boise, idaho, police department used its m-rap to arrest a kidnapping suspect believed to barricaded with explosives. karen county dispatched its armored vehicles to hostage situations twice last fall. >> the guy saw the armored vehicle. he walks out and gives himself up. >> reporter: just by looking at the vehicle? >> just by looking at the vehicle he came out. he didn't want to mess with anybody. >> reporter: you would be content to have that thing sit in the garage forever? >> i'm hoping it sits in the garage forever. i'm hoping we never have to use it. >> reporter: so is kara dansky, an attorney for the american civil liberty union. she's uncomfortable with these vehicles designed for combat responding to calls in small- town america. to her military-grade equipment has no place in civilian law enforcement and says her research has shown it can actually increase violence. >> we've seen a number of instances in which police

departments receive training that suggests that they have what we call a "warrior-type mentality." they think of themselves as engaging in a battle. >> reporter: why is their warrior mentality problematic in civilian law enforcement officers. >> we think the bottom line is police are here to protect and serve, not treat our neighborhoods like war zones. >> i don't buy that. i think it's poppycock. i think it depends on the agency, depends on the training. we're a very professional agency here. none of my guys are ever going to be placed in danger. that's why i'm glad we have it. >> reporter: when sheriff york says no taxpayer money was used, warren county did pay to have those vehicles delivered and painted, seized drug money paid for that. there were no mraps on display, but lots of glitzy new cars were unveiled today at the detroit auto show where the public traditionally gets its first look at dozens of new cars. michelin rolled out a new tire. it's designed to stop better in the rain, even as it wears down. next up, challenges for americans trying to adopt overseas. this is for you.

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symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. [ man ] with copd, i thought i'd miss our family tradition. now symbicort significantly improves my lung function, starting within 5 minutes. and that makes a difference in my breathing. today we're ready for whatever swims our way. ask your doctor about symbicort. i got my first prescription free. call or click to learn more. >> axelrod: americans attempting to adopt children overseas can all too often find themselves swept into a world of confusion and >> axelrod: americans attempting to adopt children overseas can all too often find themselves swept into a world of confusion and legal ambiguity. maureen maher offers two examples of the pitfalls in tonight's "48 hours" in an edition entitled "perilous journey." >> reporter: after serving in iraq and afghanistan, army officer ryan owen, along with his wife jeri lynn, is on his way to adopt two sisters, ava and zoey, and bring them home to fort campbell, kentucky.

>> here we go. >> reporter: with three boys of their own, the owens felt they had more to give. they had found the girls online, offered by celebrate children international or c.c.i. a small florida adoption agency run by sue hedberg. what was the story she told you about where these girls came from? >> they were just abandoned. >> reporter: the owens soon noticed a serious discrepancy between the paperwork and pictures c.c.i. sent them that could threaten the adoption. >> you bring this up to this person who is supposed to be representing you, you're met with: stop. >> reporter: determined to push ahead, the owens later cut ties with sue hedberg and c.c.i. >> i had no way to find out this was happening until it happened to me. >> reporter: betsy emanuel already had four adopted children. >> when i saw maria, my life changed. there is no other way to describe it. >> reporter: in 2006, she decided to adopt again. the three-year-old was being

offered by celebrate children international. >> she is to die for. >> reporter: sue hedberg told her the toddler also had a baby sister available, but soon afterwards, c.c.i. told emanuel the birth mother had resurfaced, accompanied by armed men, and demanded both girls be returned. eventually emanuel would discover that several guatemalans are alleged to have abducted the girls. >> you don't remove children from their parents and then offer them for thousands of dollars. >> reporter: betsy began searching the internet for any information on the girls. she soon discovered their mother was searching for them, too. betsy emanuel helped reunite the family. >> i'm so happy to see you. >> reporter: and recently traveled to meet them for the first time. >> i'm overwhelmed. >> reporter: guatemalan authorities plan to charge a former c.c.i. facilitator, marvin bran, with human

trafficking, but right now bran is a fugitive. hedberg says she stopped working with him before irregularities surfaced. authorities have not charged hedberg in the case. for the owen, who are trying to bring ava and zoey home, it's a battle to overcome the chaos of congo. >> is there anything else a person can do to prove to the congolese government i care about these kids? >> axelrod: and maureen maher joins us now. maureen, powerful story. watching the piece, it seems pretty clear something needs to be done. >> reporter: they're going to try to do something significant later this summer, jim. they will enact law that will require all american adoption agencies that deal with international adoption to meet the same international standard, and we'll see if that helps to solve some of the problem. >> axelrod: maureen, thanks for stopping by. you can see maureen's report in its entirety tonight on "48 hours." and still ahead, from bad to worse, elizabeth palmer's personal look at the growing despair in baghdad.

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these days isn't all bombs and bullets. even in the winter the days are warm enough for a little outdoor sport. in the evening, people do find the time and place to unwind. here sunnis gathered in the mosque to celebrate their prophets birthday, but overall the city is shabby and bleak. seeing it like this after two years was a shock. i covered iraq for over a decade during the u.s. occupation, through some of the very grimmest chapters. but by 2011, as the last of the american troops pulled out, i thought things had turned around after a successful election and oil money starting to flow. so did seyed abdul khader gilani. he heads one of the main sunni mosques in baghdad, but instead, he says, iraqis have had nothing but corrupt politics and empty promises.

>> reporter: saddest of all, baghdad's not safe. after improving steadily over several years, terrorist attacks shot up again last summer. in spite of hundreds of checkpoints that cause epic traffic jams, somehow the bombers still slip past and wreak havoc. this week alone, there were 22 attempts. khadamiya hospital keeps this room ready all the time, full of empty beds, close to the front emergency entrance, to receive the steady wave of bombings victims that can arrive at any time. all the violence looks depressingly familiar. anyone who lived through the bloodshed of the post-saddam years sees ominous parallels today. armed extremists have once again occupied the city of fallujah and anbar province where more than 1,300 u.s. soldiers died. america says it will help out again, though not with men this time, but arms.

and iraqis, who have learned realism the hard way, are praying for peace but once again bracing for war. elizabeth palmer, cbs news, baghdad. >> axelrod: the insight of elizabeth par master who has covered iraq for years. and that is the "cbs evening news" for tonight. later on cbs, "48 hours." for now i'm jim axelrod in new york. for all of us here on cbs news, thanks for joining us and good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

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