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. 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. One person was severely injured. There are reports of injuries but no specific details. There are about 200 employees at the Belle location. The chemical giant also paid $9 million to clean dioxin-contaminated dust from 4,500 homes, according to the 385-page court order. A 'very serious' blast at a West Virginia chemical plant has left four people injured and forced all residents within a two-mile radius to shelter in place, after chlorinated dry bleach and. Optima said it is cooperating fully in an investigation, and its thoughts and prayers go out to its employees, their families and the communities affected. It is the former DuPont chemical plant. Chemours released the following statement: An incident at one of the tenant companies at the Chemours site in Belle, West Virginia has resulted in a fire. 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. When drinking water is contaminated in West Virginia, coal-mining operations are usually the culprit. 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. 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. Gayle and I, like all West Virginians, will keep Johns loved ones in our prayers and will continue to pray for the speedy recovery of the three others injured in last nights explosion.. Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper told a local radio program Wednesday morning that there was a "massive explosion" at the site that sent metal debris onto an interstate and across the river. It is unclear whether the explosion involved any chemicals at the plant, formerly known as the. The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. "Unless it is in a container that says purified water, distilled water, or I bought it myself and put it through my machine, I don't drink anybody's water. Four people were reported injured initially, but Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper said one person later died. Carper said at first they believed there was a barge accident, but they soon realized it was an incident at the plant. As fire lit up the night sky, the Kanawha County Sheriffs Department and State Police were controlling traffic at the roads around the plant. How did this mountain lion reach an uninhabited island? James Mason, whos with KCEAA, said they have their mass causality teams and mass triage teams ready as a precautionary measure. The call came in around 10 p.m. Tuesday, December 8, 2020. The Rush to Green Could Leave Us in the Dark, All Belle Chemical Company employees have been accounted for and safely evacuated from the premises. There will be no special education services. Carper also told local WCHS reporter Whitney Wetzel that the incident involved chlorinated dry bleach and methanol. A shelter-in-place is in effect after a chemical plant explosion Tuesday night in the Belle area of Kanawha County, West Virginia. Shelter in place up within two miles of Belle. An explosion Tuesday evening at the Optima Chemicals plant in Belle, West Virginia resulted in the death of one worker and injured three others. I urge all those in and near Belle to stay tuned to local media & follow instructions from local officials.. Two of the people transported were from inside the plant. According to a spokesperson from the family, John Gillenwater was killed. Maintenance staff were troubleshooting it when the incident took place. The 723-acre former DuPont site is situated along the Kanawha River and has manufactured various specialty and agricultural products since 1926. 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. Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said three people were transported to the hospital, while a fourth person took himself to seek treatment. Four people were injured. It happened Tuesday night at the Chemours property site in Belle. Rt. One person was severely injured. John Gillenwater was killed in the explosion. Did you encounter any technical issues? Patrol Officer Cassie Marie Johnson Memorial Act creates a new criminal charge. It includes all of Belle, Marmet, Chesapeake and Chelyan. Chemours formed as a spinoff from DuPont in 2015. He told TV stations, right now we feel like everything is in pretty good shape.". as well as other partner offers and accept our. Optima Belle Chemical supplies specialty chemicals, toll services and custom manufacturing, according to its website. . "We drink the water, too.". The town of Belle has about 1,100 residents. The roughly 5,000-year-old human remains were found in graves from the Yamnaya culture, and the discovery may partially explain their rapid expansion throughout Europe. 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 fire was reportedly still burning early Wednesday morning and officials at the scene said it would have to burn itself out before they could go in to evaluate. Sign up for notifications from Insider! A 2-mile radius was reportedly ordered to shelter in place around the Chemours chemical complex in Belle, WV. The explosion sent large chunks of metal through the air. 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. Four injured after explosion, fire at W.Va. chemical plant. The project will result in the creation of between 150 and 200 construction jobs. UPDATE | Water customers not impacted by chemical plant explosion in Kanawha County. Officials do not believe any chemicals from the plant fire got into the Kanawha River, Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper told CNN affiliate WSAZ. December 9, 2020 / 9:45 AM UPDATE | Name released of person killed in chemical plant explosion, Aerial drone footage of explosion at Chemours plant in Kanawha County (courtesy of Aaron Spencer). CNNs Joe Sutton contributed to this report. As coal is prepared for shipment, it is washed with chemicals, including a cleanser known as crude MCHM, which is at the heart of last week's accident. 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.. Carper told WCHS that one individual was taken to CAMC General Hospital by ambulance and another individual drove themselves to Montgomery General Hospital. One person is dead and two were left injured after a fire at a chemical plant in Belle, West Virginia, according to Optima Belle Chemical, the tenant of the site. According to emergency officials, the explosion occurred at 8:40 a.m. in a furnace. CW Sigman, the Kanawha County Emergency Management Director, tells WSAZ chlorine and methanol were included in the explosion. Chemical incident at Chemours plant in Belle. "We are seeing a renaissance now because of Marcellus Shale," said Kevin DiGregorio, executive director of the Chemical Alliance Zone, a nonprofit economic development group dedicated to building the chemical industry in West Virginia. The Senate bill shrinks the copay cap from $100 to $35. Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, School shooting survivor has emotional audition on "American Idol". James Mason, whos with KCEAA, said they have their mass causality teams and mass triage teams ready as a precautionary measure. A plan to make mustard gas in the town for battlefields in Europe never materialized. A 2-mile radius was ordered to shelter in place around the Chemours chemical complex in Belle, WV, WOWK-TV reported. "As far as I know, there was no coal company within miles.". It left 300,000 people surrounding Charleston unable to even touch tap water and essentially shut down the state's capital city as residents scavenged for bottled water, baby wipes, and frozen TV dinners requiring no water for cooking or cleanup. The only place in the U.S. where MIC was manufactured and stockpiled was at Union Carbide's plant in Institute, West Virginia, in the heart of Chemical Valley. 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. "To those of us in the chemical industry, safety is number one," he said. 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 -. Manchin visits Milton, discusses new federal funding for floodwall project. 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. Incident Description: On July 28, 2021, MetroNews reported an explosion at a chemical plant in Belle, West Virginia. The outcome could have been much worse if not for all the first responders, said Justice. Early Wednesday morning, the. The Rush to Green Could Leave Us in the Dark. Several roads nearby were closed to traffic, according to WOWK. KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) West Virginia American Water says customers are not impacted by the chemical plant explosion. Firetrucks responding to plant. The explosion involved chlorinated dry bleach and methanol, Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper told the local WCHS reporter Whitney Wetzel. That river wends through the mountains and empties into the Ohio River on the Ohio-West Virginia border at Point Pleasant. John was beloved by many in his community and his church, the family said in a statement. An explosion that injured four people at a West Virginia chemical plant and shook surrounding homes prompted authorities to impose a shelter-in-place order. WSAZ has been told the explosion happened at a tenant company that operates at Chemours called Optima. John Gillenwater was a true man of faith and the family believes in the power of prayer. 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. The area is the location of theformer DuPont chemical plant. A determination about lifting the shelter-in-place will not be made until that assessment is made. 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. It shook people's houses on both sides of the river.". One of Earth's loneliest volcanoes holds an extraordinary secret. Heres the technology that helped scientists find itand what it may have been used for. Carper also says it does not appear any chemicals got into the Kanawha River. 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. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Students should log in to Schoology for eLearning. There are reports of injuries but no specific details. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, and the Kanawha County Commission expressed their condolences. appreciated. Gov. This is a developing story. 60 has reopened between Campbells Creek and the Chelyan Bridge. All rights reserved. It happened. 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. The plant is along the Kanawha River in eastern Kanawha County.Belle, with a population of around 1,100, is southeast of Charleston. 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. The coal-cleansing chemical that spilled from Freedom Industries' storage tank into the Elk River last Thursday is only the latest insult in what for some has been a lifetime of industrial accidents that have poisoned groundwater, spewed toxic gas emissions, and caused fires, explosions, and other disasters that neither state nor federal regulators have been able to protect against. What if we could clean them out? Can we bring a species back from the brink?, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Officials let the fire continue to burn off until just after midnight when it was extinguished, Justice said. 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. The explosion sent large chunks of metal through the air. The company that owns the plant later said the fire at the site was under control. An aerial view of Catenary Coal Co. mountaintop removal site near Kayford Mountain in West Virginia. 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.