By: Lori Kersey for West Virginia Watch
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board have launched investigations into a chemical incident that killed two people and critically injured another person in Kanawha County Wednesday morning, officials say.
“We are opening an investigation into this tragic incident to determine how it happened and identify ways to help prevent something like this from happening again,” CSB chairman Steve Owens said in a news release.
West Virginia DEP’s Environmental Enforcement teams launched a full investigation into the facility, Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s office said in a news release Thursday. The state will examine the cause of the incident as well as the facility’s overall compliance with state and federal regulations, officials said.
The chemical leak happened at Catalyst Refiners Inc. in Institute during a cleaning process involving a tank at the facility, creating hydrogen sulfide.
Kanawha County Emergency Management director C.W. Sigman told reporters Wednesday that while workers were decommissioning a tank, the chemicals M200A and nitric acid mixed in a pump area, and an explosion and leak occurred.
At least 21 people were transported or sought treatment following the incident. Seven members of the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority were evaluated for potential exposure, according to county officials. All ambulance authority staff members were treated and released, KCEAA director Monica Mason told West Virginia MetroNews.
State officials will also monitor the site’s wastewater handling and any potential runoff to ensure there are no impacts to surrounding systems, Morrisey’s office said.
The Chemical Safety Board is an independent, nonregulatory agency that investigates incidents and hazards that result or may result in the catastrophic release of hazardous substances, the agency said in the release. Board members are appointed by the president subject to Senate confirmation.
The board’s mission is to conduct incident investigations to identify root causes of releases, develop preventative or mitigative recommendations and advocate for their implementations.
The agency does not issue fines or safety citations, but makes safety recommendations to companies, labor groups and regulatory agencies.
“This incident has had a real impact on workers, and on the surrounding community. Understanding what went wrong is essential so that facilities handling hazardous chemicals can operate more safely and responsibly,” Chemical Safety Board Member Sylvia Johnson said in the news release.
The West Virginia DEP in coordination with the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection, will also sample air at the Institute facility and in surrounding areas and watch existing monitoring stations for unusual changes, the governor’s office said in a news release Thursday.
The facility, owned by Ames Goldsmith Corp., manufactures silver catalyst.
West Virginia officials are closely watching the site’s wastewater handling and any potential runoff to ensure there are no impacts to surrounding systems, Morrisey’s office said in the news release.
The state is also gathering information about people who sought medical treatment following the incident, Morrisey said.
“Our focus is on getting answers and ensuring the community is protected,” Morrisey said in the statement. “We are taking a thorough, coordinated approach to monitoring this situation and holding all responsible parties accountable.”
West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.