The 723-acre site is located along the Kanawha River about 10 miles southeast of Charleston. Shelter in place up within two miles of Belle. WSAZ has been told the explosion happened at a tenant company that operates at Chemours called Optima. 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. 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. The fire was significant, Carper said. 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. The Chemical Safety Board dispatched a team to West Virginia this week to investigate how 5,000 gallons of the chemical 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (MCMH) leaked into the Elk River above Charleston. A fire was extinguished about two hours after the blast was first reported, with local emergency responders reporting that the scene had been stabilized. Site responders worked to contain the fire,\" Chemours said in an email. 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. Chemours formed as a spinoff from DuPont in 2015. The number to reach it for non-emergency calls related to the incident is 304-746-8828. The county commission said that the shelter-in-place order covered all of Belle, as well as the communities Marmet, Chesapeake and Chelyan. Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the chemical plant where the explosion took place. Four injuries were reported, and area schools were closing Wednesday as a precaution. Weve contacted the state and the Governors Office for assistance, Carper said. According to a spokesperson from the family, John Gillenwater was killed. There will be no special education services. Chemical incident at Chemours plant in Belle. Last weeks chemical spill is only the latest chemical accident in the Kanawha River Valley. It happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Chemours plant along W. Dupont Ave. in Belle. James Mason, whos with KCEAA, said they have their mass causality teams and mass triage teams ready as a precautionary measure. as well as other partner offers and accept our. "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. There was a shelter in place for a two-mile radius late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, according to dispatchers. Site responders are working to contain the fire. Carper also says it does not appear any chemicals got into the Kanawha River. I urge all those in and near Belle to stay tuned to local media & follow instructions from local officials.. Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Employment | Affiliates Intranet Metro 911 reports that U.S. 60 is shut down from Campbells Creek to the Chelyan Bridge due to the emergency. (WSAZ) - West Virginia American Water says customers are not impacted by the chemical plant explosion. The plant saw nonfatal incidents, including a leak, an explosion, and a fire, during the late 1980s and 1990s. SHELTER IN PLACE IS IN EFFECT. 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. House approves bill named after fallen Charleston police officer. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Scanner audio of the initial dispatch of last Tuesday night's explosion at Optima Chemical in Belle, West Virginia at the former DuPont Chemical plant. As of just before 2 a.m. Wednesday, the commission reported the fire was still burning at the plant. Carper also told local WCHS reporter Whitney Wetzel that the incident involved chlorinated dry bleach and methanol. But the measures found little support in the capitol in Charleston. "Welcome to our world," says Vivian Stockman, 52, a longtime resident of rural Roane County, north of Charleston, the state capital, and an activist with the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition. "John was beloved by many in his community and his church," the told the station. 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). Copyright 2023 West Virginia MetroNews Network. Road closures, shelter-in-place in effect after chemical plant explosion in Kanawha Valley, Sheriff releases name after body found in Mason County, Wind spreads flames across several properties, Man dies in law enforcement custody; death investigation underway, Herd faithful showing up in Pensacola for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. Updated This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A plan to make mustard gas in the town for battlefields in Europe never materialized. It shook peoples houses on both sides of the river., He added, It shook homes and businesses clear over on the Marmet side of the river.. A homeowner in Belle shared this video captured during the explosion: According to Metro 911, the shelter-in-place includes everyone between the Chelyan Bridge to Burning Springs. Belle Mayor David Fletcher, who also is a volunteer firefighter, said the blaze was extinguished before midnight. According to the Kanawha County Commission, the Kanawha County Emergency Operations Center has been activated. 2. 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. Chemours formed as a spinoff from DuPont in 2015. Still, it was a very hard day, Kanawha County Manager Jennifer Herrald told The Associated Press. The explosion lit up the night sky in eastern Kanawha County. 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 man who died was identified by family members as John Gillenwater, who was a chemical operator, according to Optima Belle. Chemours was founded in July 2015 as a spin-off from DuPont. Pasco sheriff: 3 people, including a 6-year-old girl, shot in the head during home invasion, Missing child alert canceled for Miami 15-year-old, 10 Weather: Warm weekend, isolated rain chances, Windy conditions ahead of chance of rain this weekend, Police: 4 killed after explosion at UK waste water plant, US charities raise millions in wake of Beirut port blast. KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) West Virginia American Water says customers are not impacted by the chemical plant explosion. 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. We are actively monitoring the situation, the release said. This is tragic loss for the community and all of West Virginia. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Explosion at Belle chemical plant with shelter-in-place order within A National Geographic team has made the first ascent of the remote Mount Michael, looking for a lava lake in the volcanos crater. 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. Tina and her children are surrounded by family and friends in this great time of need. KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) New details are being released about an explosion at the Chemours plant along W. Dupont Ave. in Belle overnight. All rights reserved. The. DUPONT PLANT IN BELLE WEST VIRGINIA JUST HAD AN EXPLOSION! The agreement includes a payment in lieu of taxes, in which Torch Clean Energy agreed to make significant yearly payments based on the number of megawatts generated. Patrol Officer Cassie Marie Johnson Memorial Act creates a new criminal charge. West Virginians in a two-mile radius of a chemical plant in Belle were told to shelter in place after a fire and explosion Tuesday night, officials said.The explosion occurred at the Chemours plant just after 10 p.m., the Kanawha County Commission said. Can we bring a species back from the brink? Residents who lived within a two-mile radius of the Chemours plant in Belle, West Virginia, were ordered to shelter in place following a "chemical incident and explosion," Kanawha County officials said. Fatal explosion at West Virginia chemical plant kills 1, injures 3 They say first responders will have to let the fire burn out before theyll be able to go in and assess the scene. 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. MARTINSBURG, W.Va. 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. In 1984, thousands of villagers in India died after methyl isocyanate, or MICa chemical used to make pesticides, plastics, and other productsescaped from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal. The injured people included two workers and one person hit by debris, Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper told WCHS-TV. "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 project will result in the creation of between 150 and 200 construction jobs. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Authorities say an explosion and fire at a West Virginia chemical plant that shook surrounding homes killed one person while injuring three others. 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. Four injured after explosion, fire at W.Va. chemical plant. All Belle Chemical Company employees have been accounted for and safely evacuated from the premises. Early Wednesday morning, the. "We just live with it until the next thing happens and then we rehash it all over again," Nye said. 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. Chemical Valley begins at the hamlet of Gauley Bridge, population 614, in central West Virginia, where the New River and the Gauley River converge and flow into the much larger Kanawha. It includes all of Belle, Marmet, Chesapeake and Chelyan. 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. An explosion Tuesday evening at the Optima Chemicals plant in Belle, West Virginia resulted in the death of one worker and injured three others. It happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday at the . Jim Justice tweeted that he has been briefed and that he and his wife were praying for the safety of everyone involved.Sen. Carper said at first they believed there was a barge accident, but they soon realized it was an incident at the plant. The Kanawha County school board announced that all Riverside area feeder schools will be closed Wednesday because of the explosion. First published on December 9, 2020 / 6:39 AM. Do Not Sell My Personal Information Kanawha County Emergency Management Director, CW Sigman, tells WSAZ.com chlorine and methanol were involved in the explosion. Chemours formed as a spinoff from DuPont in 2015. The safety board returned to West Virginia in 2010, after an accidental release of toxic gas at the DuPont plant in Belle killed one worker there, and again urged new safety oversight. When does spring start? No additional information on their injuries was released. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. It happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Chemours plant along W. Dupont Ave. in Belle. The plant is along the Kanawha River in eastern Kanawha County.Belle, with a population of around 1,100, is southeast of Charleston. Two years ago, Monsanto agreed to pay $93 million for medical monitoring of some 5,000 Nitro factory workers who alleged in a class action suit that their town had been contaminated with dioxin, a toxic byproduct of Agent Orange production that is linked to cancer. 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. A Warner Bros. Its still unclear what they produce at the plant. UPDATE | Water customers not impacted by chemical plant - WSAZ His family is "devastated over the loss of their husband, father and friend," according to NBC affiliate WSAZ of Huntington. The explosion occurred near the Chemours plant in Belle just after 10 p.m. 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 release from Optima Belle said. KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) - The name of the person who was killed in an explosion at Optima Chemicals Company in Belle, West Virginia Tuesday evening has been released. West Virginia chemical plant explosion spurs stay-inside order Chlorine itself is not flammable, but it can react explosively or form explosive compounds with other chemicals such as turpentine and ammonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.