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. The chemical giant also paid $9 million to clean dioxin-contaminated dust from 4,500 homes, according to the 385-page court order. We are actively monitoring the situation, the release said. KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - U.S. ORIGINAL STORY: Emergency crews are on the scene of an explosion and fire at the Chemours Chemical Plant on West Dupont Ave. in Belle. BELLE, WV (WOWK) 12/8/2020 10:45 a.m. 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. When does spring start? The site of the former DuPont Potomac River Works explosives manufacturing facility in Berkeley County will be the future home of a $100 million solar electricity production facility. Not in this state.". The call came in around 10 p.m. Tuesday, December 8, 2020. An explosion Tuesday evening at the Optima Chemicals plant in Belle, West Virginia resulted in the death of one worker and injured three others. A Warner Bros. "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. It happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Chemours plant along W. Dupont Ave. in Belle. His family is "devastated over the loss of their husband, father and friend," according to NBC affiliate WSAZ of Huntington. 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 the Chemours plant along West Dupont Avenue in Belle, Metro 911 dispatchers say. All rights reserved, fouled tap water in nine counties in West Virginia, Union Carbide's plant in Institute, West Virginia. The 723-acre site is located along the Kanawha River about 10 miles southeast of Charleston. John Gillenwater was a true man of faith and the family believes in the power of prayer. 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). Patrol Officer Cassie Marie Johnson Memorial Act creates a new criminal charge. According to a spokesperson from the family, John Gillenwater was killed. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The name of the . The plant is along the Kanawha River in eastern Kanawha County.Belle, with a population of around 1,100, is southeast of Charleston. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Scientists just confirmed a 30-foot void first detected inside the monument years ago. Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest information. She's president of People Concerned About Chemical Safety, which pressed West Virginia lawmakers in 2009 to pass legislation modeled on a California industrial safety program that Nye says has minimized industrial accidents there. WSAZ has been told the explosion happened at a tenant company that operates at Chemours called Optima. 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.". UPDATE | Water customers not impacted by chemical plant explosion in Kanawha County. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. How did this mountain lion reach an uninhabited island? Two of the people transported were from inside the plant. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The chemical industry followed early salt miners and then the kings of coal to West Virginia in the late 1700s. 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. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Several roads nearby were closed to traffic, according to WOWK. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. View of fires at a Chemours chemical plant following an explosion in Belle, West Virginia, U.S., December 8, 2020 in this still image taken from social media video. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The explosion sent large chunks of metal through the air. All Videos; Safety Videos; Safety Messges; . James Mason, whos with KCEAA, said they have their mass causality teams and mass triage teams ready as a precautionary measure. 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. The explosion took place around 10:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, county officials said. It happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Optima Chemicals Company along W. Dupont Ave. in Belle. Explosion at the DeRidder Pulp and Paper Mill. KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) New details are being released about an explosion at the Chemours plant along W. Dupont Ave. in Belle overnight. 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. Carper also told local WCHS reporter Whitney Wetzel that the incident involved chlorinated dry bleach and methanol. Local outlet WOWK reported that several schools in the area also announced closures for Wednesday, following the explosion. Firetrucks responding to plant. These skeletons may have the answer, Scientists are making advancements in birth controlfor men, Blood cleaning? ET, WCHS reported. "Gayle and I send our thoughts and prayers to John Gillenwaters family, friends, and loved ones, especially his wife Tina and their children," Manchin said in a statement. The man who died was identified by family members as John Gillenwater, who was a chemical operator, according to Optima Belle. House approves bill named after fallen Charleston police officer. John was the sole bread winner for his family.. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All Belle Chemical Company employees have been accounted for and safely evacuated from the premises. Then, in 2008, after the plant was bought by Bayer CropScience, an explosion killed two workers. "I don't drink our water," she 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. 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I urge everyone in the area to follow the shelter-in-place order currently in effect, he said. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. It directed questions to another company that did not immediately return a voice message.Aerial video posted to social media captured images of the fire burning.The shelter-in-place remained in effect early Wednesday. The Project will repurpose a former explosives manufacturing site, and with approximately $100 million invested will be one of the nations largest brownfield renewable energy projects. Carper said at first they believed there was a barge accident, but they soon realized it was an incident at the plant. 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. Updated 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. 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.. The number to reach it for non-emergency calls related to the incident is 304-746-8828. 60 has reopened between Campbells Creek and the Chelyan Bridge. How a zoo break-in changed the life of an owl called Flaco, Naked mole rats are fertile until they die, study finds. It is unclear whether the explosion involved any chemicals at the plant, formerly known as the. "I urge everyone in the area to follow the Shelter-In-Place Order currently in effect. All Rights Reserved. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Students should log in to Schoology for eLearning. 10:28 PM EST, Wed December 9, 2020. The company that owns the plant later said the fire at the site was under control. Discovery Company. Can we bring a species back from the brink? Heres why each season begins twice. No staff should report. 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. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Three accidents occur over a 33-hour period at the Dupont plant in Belle, WV. 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. They say first responders will have to let the fire burn out before theyll be able to go in and assess the scene.