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wo people have died, and one is in critical condition after a chemical incident at a Kanawha County plant, officials said Wednesday. The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. at the Ames Goldsmith Catalyst Refiners facility in Institute.
A total of 21 people were transported to local hospitals or sought medical treatment on site, officials said. That number includes seven employees of Kanawha County EMS.
Officials reported no injuries outside of the facility as of Wednesday afternoon.
At a 2 p.m. press conference on April 22, officials said the chemical incident occurred while crews were decommissioning and cleaning the site. During that process, a violent reaction between M2000A and nitric acid released hydrogen sulfide, a colorless, highly toxic, and flammable gas known for its strong odor of rotten eggs.
"When the materials got together, they reacted violently and exposed the workers," Kanawha County Emergency Services Director C.W. Sigman said.
After the incident, officials activated sirens to notify nearby residents and businesses. They also issued a wireless emergency alert for the Jefferson, St. Albans, Nitro, Institute, and Dunbar fire response areas.
Officials issued a shelter-in-place order within a one-mile radius of the Institute facility, from West Virginia State University to the Nitro/St. Albans Bridge on both sides of the river.
Authorities closed Route 25 near the facility to traffic. Hazmat crews responded, and firefighters brought a mobile decontamination unit to the scene.
As a precaution, Kanawha County Schools voluntarily initiated a shelter-in-place at Dunbar Primary, Dunbar Intermediate, St. Albans High School, Nitro Elementary, and Nitro High School, although most of the schools were not in the official shelter-in-place zone.
Officials gradually lifted the shelter-in-place order for portions of the affected area throughout the late morning and into the afternoon. By 2:30 p.m., they had fully lifted the order, but West Virginia State University canceled classes for the day. The portion of Route 25 near the facility was reopened around 4:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, Kanawha County Commission President Ben Salango said he anticipates that several agencies will be involved in investigating the incident.
"This remains an active incident," Salango said. "Information is still being developed, and there will be national, state, and local investigations about this chemical release."
More local coverage of the chemical incident:
