THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY AND WILL BE UPDATED:
2 p.m. Wednesday news conference
Kanawha County Commission President Ben Salango said two workers were killed and one person was critically injured when decommissioning a tank at the facility.
Kanawha County Emergency Manager C.W. Sigman said chemicals “violently collided” and then the leak occurred.
There were 21 people who were treated for contamination. Seven of them were Kanawha County ambulance crew members.
The shelter-in-place has been lifted for West Virginia State University. Route 25 remains closed in front of the plant.
INSTITUTE, W.Va. — Hospitals in the Kanawha Valley have set up decontamination units and are receiving patients after an incident this morning at the Ames Goldsmith Catalyst Refiners facility located in Kanawha County between Institute and Nitro. The incident occurred at a building inside the plant shortly around 9:30 a.m.
“It’s an acid based material, most of it was inside the building, but there are some patients medics are working on right now,” said C.W. Sigman, head of Emergency Services for Kanawha County.Multiple fire and rescue teams are at the plant and transporting patients.
“Our emergency response teams immediately began preparing, and we have received some patients,” said Kristin Anderson, VP for Marketing at WVU Thomas Memorial Hospital.
Anderson could not say how many patients had been received at Thomas or the extent of their injuries.
Critical care pulmonologist Dr. Tom Takubo stated that the patients were exposed to a Bonderite product known to cause lung issues.
“It’s known pulmonary irritant in that it can get into the lungs, coat the lungs, and prevent oxygen from getting into the bloodstream,” he said.
He further explained that about 30-40 individuals were being treated at the plant and would be transported to hospitals as needed. Critical care treatment is focused on symptoms related to the exposure.
“To my knowledge, there is no type of antidote or anything like that. It is more like a lung irritant so once that inflamation occurs we would treat that accordingly so we would treat it based on symptoms at that time,” Takubo said.
Kanawha Metro 911 released the following information about the shelter in place at 12:19 p.m.
“The shelter in place has been lifted from Catalyst Refiners Inc at 1580 1st Ave S, Institute to the Nitro/St Albans bridge, Nitro. The shelter in place REMAINS IN EFFECT from Catalyst Refiners Inc to West Virginia State University.”
Governor Patrick Morrisey put out a statement about the incident:
The West Virginia Department of Homeland Security’s Emergency Management Division (EMD), the Department of Health, and the Department of Environmental Protection are coordinating closely with Kanawha County Emergency Management to address a chemical incident at the Ames Goldsmith Catalyst Refiners along the border of Nitro and Institute. EMD personnel are currently stationed at the county’s Command Center to provide direct operational support and DEP is providing decontamination and disposal assistance. State emergency leaders continue to monitor the situation and remain ready to deploy additional resources.
A number of individuals are currently receiving treatment at local hospitals, and state agencies stand ready to assist those affected as well. Residents in the surrounding area should continue to follow the Personal Protective Measures issued by Kanawha County for further safety guidance and updates.
“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our citizens,” said Governor Morrisey. “We are working around the clock with local officials to ensure this incident is contained and that all necessary state resources are on the ground to protect the community.”
Emergency officials are planning to release more information about the incident during a news conference this afternoon at 2 p.m.
CAMC/Vandalia confirmed they were also preparing for patients.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito also released a statement:
“I am aware of the chemical emergency at the Catalyst Refiners plant in Institute and am closely monitoring the situation as it develops. I am grateful to our local first responders and emergency personnel who are on the scene working quickly to contain the incident and keep residents and workers safe. In the meantime, my office is staying in contact with state and local officials, and I encourage those in the affected area to follow any and all guidance from officials as we continue to learn more.”
The plant is located between Institute and Nitro. The roadway is shut down on 1st Ave S in Institute from New Goff Mountain Rd to Kilowatt Rd.
The shelter-in-place is for a one-mile radius of the plant and includes the West Virginia State University campus.
The shelter-in-place put into effect for St. Albans was lifted at 10:30 a.m.