Our focus at this time is the safety of our employees and others who are employed on the site, the community members and our first responders.. Scanner audio of the initial dispatch of last Tuesday night's explosion at Optima Chemical in Belle, West Virginia at the former DuPont Chemical plant. CW Sigman, the Kanawha County Emergency Management Director, tells WSAZ chlorine and methanol were included in the explosion. Jim Justice said in a tweet that he was aware of the situation. Officials believe the explosion involved chlorinated dry bleach and methanol, Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper told WCHS-TV. Heres why each season begins twice. The Chemours representative says the incident did not originate in the Chemours plant located on the site and that all Chemours employees were safe and accounted for Tuesday evening. The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time. . He told TV stations, right now we feel like everything is in pretty good shape.". In 1984, thousands of villagers in India died after methyl isocyanate, or MICa chemical used to make pesticides, plastics, and other productsescaped from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal. Four people were reported injured initially, but Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper said one person later died. Bats and agaves make tequila possibleand theyre both at risk, This empress was the most dangerous woman in Rome. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Authorities say an explosion and fire at a West Virginia chemical plant that shook surrounding homes killed one person while injuring three others. Site responders are working to contain the fire. It happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Optima Chemicals Company along W. Dupont. Four people have reportedly been injured after an explosion at a chemical plant in West Virginia. That river wends through the mountains and empties into the Ohio River on the Ohio-West Virginia border at Point Pleasant. The explosion at a chemical facility in Belle erupted just after 10 p.m. Tuesday and prompted a warning to shelter-in-place for two miles around it. At least two people have been injured after an explosion at a West Virginia chemical plant that prompted authorities to order residents within 3.2 kilometres (two miles) of the plant . Residents who lived within a two-mile radius of the Chemours plant in Belle, West Virginia, were ordered to shelter in place following a "chemical incident and explosion," Kanawha County officials said. All Rights Reserved. "We've had at least one very serious explosion and a working fire at the plant," Carper told the news station. Patrol Officer Cassie Marie Johnson Memorial Act creates a new criminal charge. The Project will be a beacon for leading companies that are seeking to purchase clean energy and open operations in Berkeley County and West Virginia.. Four people in all were hurt in the blast, which happened just after 10 p.m. at Optima Chemicals a tenant on the site of the Chemours plant in Belle, officials said. Or bathtub enamel eaten away, leaving locals to wonder what the same water was doing to their teeth. He said they do not believe any chemicals got into the Kanawha River. "We just live with it until the next thing happens and then we rehash it all over again," Nye said. KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) New details are being released about an explosion at the Optima Chemicals Company along W. Dupont Ave. in Belle overnight. John was beloved by many in his community and his church. As fire lit up the night sky, the Kanawha County Sheriffs Department and State Police were controlling traffic at the roads around the plant. House approves bill named after fallen Charleston police officer. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The toxic wastewater produced in the cleansing process, known as coal slurry, is either injected into the grounda moratorium bans that for now, says Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition's Stockmanor is stored in impoundment ponds, or sludge "lakes" behind earthen dams. Chemours was founded in July 2015 as a spin-off from DuPont. Chemours formed as a spinoff from DuPont in 2015. Can we bring a species back from the brink? BELLE, W.Va. The shelter-in-place Kanawha County officials ordered after a Tuesday night explosion and chemical incident in Belle was lifted around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. The incident prompted a 2-mile radius shelter-in-place order, a county official told CNN, which has since been lifted. The explosion happened after 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Chemours plant in the Kanawha County community of Belle, the county commission said in a statement. How a zoo break-in changed the life of an owl called Flaco, Naked mole rats are fertile until they die, study finds. One was a driver who was injured by debris from the explosion that struck their vehicle. WSAZ has been told the explosion happened at a tenant company that operates at Chemours called Optima. A shelter in place order has been issued for residents living within two miles of the plant. ET on Wednesday. Firetrucks responding to plant. After the 2008 explosion at Bayer CropScience, the federal Chemical Safety Board recommended new state and federal safety regulations. According to emergency officials, the explosion occurred at 8:40 a.m. in a furnace. Did you encounter any technical issues? "We lost a law enforcement officer and they laid her to rest, our community was already hurting over that event, and then to end the day with an explosion at a chemical plant when our first responders were already grieving and exhausted from dealing with a funeral - it was a hard situation to go through this evening," she said. U.S. 60 was shut down from Campbells Creek to the. Other tenants at the Belle site also include Kureha, Optima Chemical Group, and Sentinel Transportation. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. BELLE, W. Va. (KDKA/AP) - A shelter-in-place order has been lifted for hundreds of people following an explosion and fire at the former Dupont Chemical Plant in Belle, West Virginia.. The fire was under control by early Wednesday, Chemours said, and later that morning a shelter-in-place that had been issued for people living within a two-mile radius of the plant was lifted by emergency authorities. It is unclear whether the explosion involved any chemicals at the plant, formerly known as the DuPont . One person was severely injured. The Rush to Green Could Leave Us in the Dark. 60 has reopened between Campbells Creek and the Chelyan Bridge. It was at Optima Belle Chemical, a tenant of the Chemours Company Plant site. NOW WATCH: We tried Plant Power, the vegan fast-food chain taking over the West Coast, Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. UPDATE | Water customers not impacted by chemical plant explosion in Kanawha County. 10 December 2020. (WSAZ) - West Virginia American Water says customers are not impacted by the chemical plant explosion. Indeed, people who live in the Kanawha River Valley, which much of the world learned recently is also known as Chemical Valley, have endured a long history of pollution of many kinds. The explosion sent large chunks of metal through the air. The life expectancy of the solar panels is more than 35 years. December 9, 2020 / 9:45 AM Chemours formed as a spinoff from DuPont in 2015. Two of the injured were from inside the plant. There will be no special education services. Optima Belle Chemical supplies specialty chemicals, toll services and custom manufacturing, according to its website. SHELTER IN PLACE IS IN EFFECT. Investigations: DuPont Corporation Toxic Chemical Releases . Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Copyright 2023 West Virginia MetroNews Network. The incident was reported around 10 p.m. Aaron Spencer captured the following drone footage of fire after the explosion: Dispatchers said there was some type of explosion, but the cause is unknown at this time. Spruance employs more than 2,000 people, many of which are second and third-generation employees. 9 Dec 2020. West Virginia American Waters Kanawha Valley water treatment plant is located along the Elk River, which is a separate source water supply from the chemical plant. SHELTER IN PLACE IS IN EFFECT. What is wind chill, and how does it affect your body? Projectiles from the explosion nearly penetrated an aboveground MIC storage tank, drawing attention from federal investigators concerned that the plant was vulnerable to a Bhopal-like disaster. There are about 200 employees at the Belle location. The Associated Press contributed to this report. West Virginia American Waters Kanawha Valley water treatment plant is located along the Elk River, which is a separate source water supply from the chemical plant. Photo courtesy Aaron Spencer, Thousands without power in West Virginia after strong winds move across the state. Four people were injured. Please be careful everyone! I urge all those in and near Belle to stay tuned to local media & follow instructions from local officials.. When drinking water is contaminated in West Virginia, coal-mining operations are usually the culprit. Belle Mayor David Fletcher, who doubles as a volunteer firefighter, says the fire was put out and an order for residents in the area to remain indoors was lifted early Wednesday. The plant saw nonfatal incidents, including a leak, an explosion, and a fire, during the late 1980s and 1990s. BELLE, W.Va. A shelter-in-place warning was issued Tuesday night for people in a small West Virginia town Tuesday night following reports of an explosion and fire at a chemical plant. !Fire, explosion at West Virginia chemical plant prompt warning for neighborsTwo people suffered injuries, a county official said, and the fire at the Chemours plant site was said to be under control. The shelter in place was lifted about 2:30 Wednesday morning. But Donna Willis, 58, a disabled legal secretary who grew up in Institute and remembers the toxic releases and explosions, argued that drawing a bright line between the coal and chemical industries as if they have nothing to do with each other misses the larger point. Several roads nearby were closed to traffic, according to WOWK. The explosion was massive. A Warner Bros. The 723-acre site is located along the Kanawha River about 10 miles southeast of Charleston. The incident was reported around 10 p.m. Aaron Spencer captured the following drone footage of fire after the explosion: Dispatchers said there was some type of explosion, but the cause is unknown at this time. The explosion occurred near the Chemours plant in Belle just after 10 p.m. The Belle Chemical Company that oversees the chemical operations at the site said in a 1:30 a.m. news release the explosion occurred at the site but was not related to chemical company operations. The two other chemical operators were evaluated at a local hospital and have been released, Optima Belle said. Please be respectful of copyright. When does spring start? DUPONT PLANT IN BELLE WEST VIRGINIA JUST HAD AN EXPLOSION! This is tragic loss for the community and all of West Virginia. A West Virginia chemical facility erupted into flames after an explosion Tuesday night, killing one person and leading to a 2-mile shelter in place order for area residents before the fire was under control and the order was lifted, officials said. Not according to biology or history. All rights reserved. But Agent Orange, which was used extensivelyand controversiallyin Southeast Asia to defoliate jungles during the Vietnam War, was produced at Nitro's Monsanto Co. plant from the 1940s until 1971. According to the company, no changes have occurred in the finished water quality leaving the companys water treatment plants and no drinking water advisories have been issued. Discovery Company. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Belle, with a population of around 1,100, is southeast of Charleston. BELLE, W.Va. An explosion at a West Virginia chemical plant on Wednesday night prompted authorities to order residents within 2 miles of the plant to remain indoors. The family is devastated over the loss of their husband, father and friend John Gillenwater. Hey Kanawha County. The Elk River spill is the region's third accident in the last five years. A shelter-in-place is in effect after a chemical plant explosion Tuesday night in the Belle area of Kanawha County, West Virginia. The company that owns the plant later said the fire at the site was under control. ET, WCHS reported. Road closures, shelter-in-place in effect after chemical plant explosion in Kanawha Valley, Go Fund Me started for Rockingham County deputy in need of emergency heart surgery, High School Basketball Scoreboard: State Quarterfinals, JMU womens basketball moves past Marshall 62-43, advances to Sun Belt semifinal, COVID was a huge boom for us; Shenandoah National Park official talks about how they are moving forward, Charlie Obaugh RV & Outdoor Student Athlete of the Week. The plant is along the Kanawha River in eastern Kanawha County.Belle, with a population of around 1,100, is southeast of Charleston. Site responders are working to contain the fire. pic.twitter.com/TtXX20bu6q. "Right now we feel like everything is in pretty good shape," he told the TV station. Carper said at first they believed there was a barge accident, but they soon realized it was an incident at the plant. Not in this state.". KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) A 2-mile radius shelter-in-place is in effect late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning after an explosion at along the Optima Chemicals Company West Dupont Avenue in Belle, Metro 911 dispatchers say. Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the chemical plant where the explosion took place. / CBS/AP. Emergency crews are on the scene of an explosion and fire at the Optima Chemical Plant on West Dupont Ave. in Belle. Incident Description: On July 28, 2021, MetroNews reported an explosion at a chemical plant in Belle, West Virginia. These skeletons may have the answer, Scientists are making advancements in birth controlfor men, Blood cleaning? "Welcome to our world," says Vivian Stockman, 52, a longtime resident of rural Roane County, north of Charleston, the state capital, and an activist with the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition. Rt. She has so little trust in official pronouncements that she doesn't believe assurances Wednesday from West Virginia American Water, the regional supplier involved in the incident, that Nitro's water is safe again. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Minutes later, the Belle fire chief and volunteer firefighters arrived. (WSAZ) - West Virginia American Water says customers are not impacted by the chemical plant explosion. Carper said at first they believed there was a barge accident, but they soon realized it was an incident at the plant. For nearly a century, Chemical Valley was home to the largest concentration of chemical plants in the United States, according to a 2004 history by Nathan Cantrell, published by the West Virginia Historical Society. The plant is part of a larger piece of property known as the Chemours site which is owned by the Belle Chemical Company. The Kanawha County school board announced that all Riverside area feeder schools will be closed Wednesday because of the explosion. His family is "devastated over the loss of their husband, father and friend," according to NBC affiliate WSAZ of Huntington. The number to reach it for non-emergency calls related to the incident is 304-746-8828. Carper said he hopes the shelter-in-place is lifted soon, but for now it is best to stay put and stay inside their homes for the safety of their families. The town of Belle has about 1,100 residents. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today released its final report on a series of three accidents that occurred over a 33-hour period on January 22 and 23, 2010, at the DuPont Corporation's Belle, West Virginia, chemical manufacturing plant -. Optima said preliminary information is that a 1,200-gallon metal dryer became over-pressurized during a chemical product drying operation, and what was in the dryer was a compound used for sanitation. The material in the dryer was a compound used for sanitization, the company said. Long COVID patients turn to unproven treatments, Why evenings can be harder on people with dementia, This disease often goes under-diagnosedunless youre white, This sacred site could be Georgias first national park, See glow-in-the-dark mushrooms in Brazils other rainforest, 9 things to know about Holi, Indias most colorful festival, Anyone can discover a fossil on this beach. 10:28 PM EST, Wed December 9, 2020. appreciated. Emergency officials had announced a shelter-in-place order for 2 miles around the plant and a nearby road was closed before firefighters were able to extinguish the flames and allow people to move around. A 2-mile radius was ordered to shelter in place around the Chemours chemical complex in Belle, WV, WOWK-TV reported. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Last weeks chemical spill is only the latest chemical accident in the Kanawha River Valley. Can we bring a species back from the brink?, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Two years ago, Monsanto agreed to pay $93 million for medical monitoring of some 5,000 Nitro factory workers who alleged in a class action suit that their town had been contaminated with dioxin, a toxic byproduct of Agent Orange production that is linked to cancer. Its plant in Belle is located about 15 minutes south of Charleston. Kanawha County Emergency Management Director, CW Sigman, tells WSAZ.com chlorine and methanol were involved in the explosion. Shelter in place up within two miles of Belle. What if we could clean them out? According to the Kanawha County Commission, the Kanawha County Emergency Operations Center has been activated. All Videos; Safety Videos; Safety Messges; . It shook peoples houses on both sides of the river., He added, It shook homes and businesses clear over on the Marmet side of the river.. The location was a DuPont facility for many years in an area commonly referred to as the Chemical Valley not far from West Virginias capital. Shelter in place up within two miles of Belle. Carper also told local WCHS reporter Whitney Wetzel that the incident involved chlorinated dry bleach and methanol. The explosion took place at the Optima Belle Chemical plant at around 10 p.m. Tuesday, when a 1,200-gallon metal dryer became over-pressurized during a chemical product drying operation, a news release from Optima Belle said. A homeowner in Belle shared this video captured during the explosion: According to Metro 911, the shelter-in-place includes everyone between the Chelyan Bridge to Burning Springs. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest information. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our Belle employees, their families, and members of the surrounding community who have been affected.. We have no further details at this time., U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., tweeted, Gayle and I are praying for those at the Chemours plant in Belle & for our brave first responders who are running to the fire tonight. The chemical giant also paid $9 million to clean dioxin-contaminated dust from 4,500 homes, according to the 385-page court order. KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) West Virginia American Water says customers are not impacted by the chemical plant explosion. The project proposes turning 750 acres of land with limited potential use into what the company says will be a 100-megawatt solar array that can power thousands of homes and businesses. The explosion, which occurred at 10:02 p.m. on December 8, occurred after a 1,200 gallon metal dryer became over-pressurized while drying a compound used for sanitation. Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest information. The explosion involved chlorinated dry bleach and methanol, Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper told the. John Gillenwater was a true man of faith and the family believes in the power of prayer. The outcome could have been much worse if not for all the first responders, said Justice. The town of Belle has about 1,100 residents. CW Sigman, the Kanawha County Emergency Management Director, tells WSAZ chlorine and methanol were included in the explosion. The Chemical Safety Board made similar recommendations in its reports of the 2008 and 2010 accidents, but the proposal died in the legislature without coming up for a vote. The proposal calls for annual safety audits by public health officials and other chemical safety experts. The shelter in place was lifted about 2:30 Wednesday morning. The project will result in the creation of between 150 and 200 construction jobs. Two years after the Bhopal disaster, Union Carbide sold its factory. The 723-acre former DuPont site is situated along the Kanawha River and has manufactured various specialty and agricultural products since 1926. One of Earth's loneliest volcanoes holds an extraordinary secret. The agreement includes a payment in lieu of taxes, in which Torch Clean Energy agreed to make significant yearly payments based on the number of megawatts generated. Two of the people transported were from inside the plant. Patrol Officer Cassie Marie Johnson Memorial Act creates a new criminal charge. A chemical incident and explosion at a plant in Belle, West Virginia, resulted in a shelter-in-place order for residents within a two-mile radius on Tuesday. Senator says it's time to get construction started. Audio. Two people were hurt but details of the injuries were not being released late Tuesday, Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper told NBC affiliate WSAZ of Huntington.\"There was a fire at one of the tenant companies at our site in Belle, West Virginia. Steam billows from cooling towers at a power plant near the Kanawha River in West Virginia. The Chemical Safety Board dispatched a team to West Virginia this week to investigate how 5,000 gallons of the chemical 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (MCMH) leaked into the Elk River above Charleston. Appalachian Power and Mon Power report approximately 60,000 customers without service Saturday morning. Why wetlands are so critical for life on Earth, Rest in compost? The explosion occurred near the Chemours plant in Belle just after 10 p.m. In 2011, after a nearly 30-year court battle with residents of Institute, Bayer CropScience dropped plans to resume production of MIC, according to the Associated Press, and announced it would dismantle the production unit.