As the ban was lifted, the company behind the West Virginia chemical spill filed for bankruptcy. The move will grant Freedom Industries at least a temporary reprieve from lawsuits. It also could allow the company’s owner, J. Clifford Forrest, to retain control of his assets while escaping liabilities. Forrest is listed as a founder of a new shell company called Mountaineer Funding, which would run Freedom Industries without having to assume legal responsibility for the spill.