It shook people's houses on both sides of the river.". The explosion occurred near the Chemours plant in Belle just after 10 p.m. . The town of Nitro, 14 miles downriver from Charleston, is named for gunpowder manufactured there in 1917 and 1918. Patrol Officer Cassie Marie Johnson Memorial Act creates a new criminal charge. 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. WSAZ has been told the explosion happened at a tenant company that operates at Chemours called Optima. A homeowner in Belle shared this video shot Tuesday night during the explosion at the Chemours plant in Kanawha County. 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. This latest update comes hours after Gov. GRAFTON, W.Va ( WDTV /Gray News) - Two West Virginia women have been charged after police reported deplorable, unsanitary and unsafe living conditions at an animal rescue. The proposal calls for annual safety audits by public health officials and other chemical safety experts. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Jim Justice tweeted that he has been briefed and that he and his wife were praying for the safety of everyone involved.Sen. Animation of April 26, 2018, Explosion and Fire at the Husky Energy Refinery in Superior . ET, WCHS reported. KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) A shelter-in-place order has been lifted, nearly four and a half hours after an explosion at the Optima Chemicals Company along W. Dupont Ave. in Belle. Can we bring a species back from the brink?, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. We are actively monitoring the situation, the release said. As fire lit up the night sky, the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department and State Police were controlling traffic at the roads around the plant. (WSAZ) - West Virginia American Water says customers are not impacted by the chemical plant explosion. "We've had at least one very serious explosion and a working fire at the plant," Carper told the news station. The explosion at a chemical facility in Belle erupted just after 10 p.m. Tuesday and prompted a warning to shelter-in-place for two miles around it. Chemours formed as a spinoff from DuPont in 2015. ORIGINAL STORY: Emergency crews are on the scene of an explosion and fire at the Chemours Chemical Plant on West Dupont Ave. in Belle. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Why wetlands are so critical for life on Earth, Rest in compost? Road closures, shelter-in-place in effect after chemical plant explosion in Kanawha Valley, Go Fund Me started for Rockingham County deputy in need of emergency heart surgery, High School Basketball Scoreboard: State Quarterfinals, JMU womens basketball moves past Marshall 62-43, advances to Sun Belt semifinal, COVID was a huge boom for us; Shenandoah National Park official talks about how they are moving forward, Charlie Obaugh RV & Outdoor Student Athlete of the Week. The outcome could have been much worse if not for all the first responders, said Justice. Four injured after explosion, fire at W.Va. chemical plant. Steam billows from cooling towers at a power plant near the Kanawha River in West Virginia. Carper also says it does not appear any chemicals got into the Kanawha River. The material in the dryer was a compound used for sanitization, the company said. 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. All Belle Chemical Company employees have been accounted for and safely evacuated from the premises. Two of the people transported were from inside the plant. 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. Last weeks chemical spill is only the latest chemical accident in the Kanawha River Valley. KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) New details are being released about an explosion at the Chemours plant along W. Dupont Ave. in Belle overnight. The explosion happened about 10 p.m. at an area along the Kanawha River about 10 miles east of Charleston. 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. He told TV stations, right now we feel like everything is in pretty good shape.". There are reports of injuries but no specific details. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. The man who died was identified by family members as John Gillenwater, who was a chemical operator, according to Optima Belle. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. The shelter in place was lifted about 2:30 Wednesday morning. The explosion occurred near the Chemours plant in Belle just after 10 p.m. It happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Chemours plant along W. Dupont Ave. in Belle. Our focus at this time is the safety of our employees and others who are employed on the site, the community members and our first responders.. 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. 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. Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said three people were transported to the hospital, while a fourth person took himself to seek treatment. It happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday at the . Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Employment | Affiliates Intranet Last week's spill is believed to be West Virginia's first chemical accident involving contamination of a large municipal system, and Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has warned out-of-town media against misattributing blame. Metro 911 reports that U.S. 60 is shut down from Campbells Creek to the Chelyan Bridge due to the emergency. Following the explosion, three people were transported to the hospital and a fourth person took himself to seek treatment. The project will result in the creation of between 150 and 200 construction jobs. Its plant in Belle is located about 15 minutes south of Charleston. What is wind chill, and how does it affect your body? Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The county commission said that the shelter-in-place order covered all of Belle, as well as the communities Marmet, Chesapeake and Chelyan. Chemical incident at Chemours plant in Belle. BELLE, W.Va. The shelter-in-place Kanawha County officials ordered after a Tuesday night explosion and chemical incident in Belle was lifted around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. The chemical giant also paid $9 million to clean dioxin-contaminated dust from 4,500 homes, according to the 385-page court order. ET on Wednesday. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Early Wednesday morning, the Kanawha County Commission said the order had been lifted. 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 along the Optima Chemicals Company West Dupont Avenue in Belle, Metro 911 dispatchers say. Aerial drone footage of explosion at Chemours plant in Kanawha County (courtesy of Aaron Spencer). Chemours released the following statement: An incident at one of the tenant companies at the Chemours site in Belle, West Virginia has resulted in a fire. People who lived in the area reported their houses shook. 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. Jim Justice initially said at least four people were hurt in the explosion. I urge all those in and near Belle to stay tuned to local media & follow instructions from local officials.. Site responders are working to contain the fire. Gayle and I send our thoughts and prayers to John Gillenwaters family, friends, and loved ones, especially his wife Tina and their children. Belle Mayor David Fletcher, who also is a volunteer firefighter, said the blaze was extinguished before midnight. This is tragic loss for the community and all of West Virginia. 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. Site responders are working to contain the fire. The fire was significant, Carper said. "I don't drink our water," she said. One person is dead and two were left injured after a fire at a chemical plant in Belle, West Virginia, according to Optima Belle Chemical, the tenant of the site. A determination about lifting the shelter-in-place will not be made until that assessment is made. Old cells hang around as we age, doing damage to the body. (WSAZ) - West Virginia American Water says customers are not impacted by the chemical plant explosion. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our Belle employees, their families, and members of the surrounding community who have been affected.. A mans world? The only place in the U.S. where MIC was manufactured and stockpiled was at Union Carbide's plant in Institute, West Virginia, in the heart of Chemical Valley. 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. Emergency crews are on the scene of an explosion and fire at the Optima Chemical Plant on West Dupont Ave. in Belle. One person was severely injured. Updated Carper also told local WCHS reporter Whitney Wetzel that the incident involved chlorinated dry bleach and methanol. Built in 1929 to produce Rayon, today Spruance is the largest DuPont manufacturing facility in the world. Carper said the explosion and fire likely involved chlorinated dry bleach and methanol and started with a barge, possibly offloading. West Virginia American Waters Kanawha Valley water treatment plant is located along the Elk River, which is a separate source water supply from the chemical plant. 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. 2023 Cable News Network. The explosion was reported around 10 p.m. Tuesday. 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.. And though about 70,000 customers have been told their water is safe again as of Wednesday night, the spill has renewed the long-running debate over environmental oversight of the coal and chemical industries, the foundation for West Virginia's fragile economy. Optima Belle LLC said that three chemical operators, including the man who died, were in the building when the incident at its chemical plant occurred. Keep checking the WSAZ App for the latest information. The chemical giant also paid $9 million to clean dioxin-contaminated dust from 4,500 homes, according to the 385-page court order. "We drink the water, too.". The 'extreme cruelty' around the global trade in frog legs, What does cancer smell like? The complex is a former DuPont chemical plant. Manchin visits Milton, discusses new federal funding for floodwall project. 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. Copyright 2023 West Virginia MetroNews Network. The groundbreaking promise of cellular housekeeping. 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 Chemours plant along W. Dupont Ave. in Belle. Heres why each season begins twice. No additional information on their injuries was released. There are about 200 employees at the Belle location. Several schools in the area have already canceled classes Wednesday. Chemours says the incident occurred at Optima Chemicals, which is a tenant on the property. They say first responders will have to let the fire burn out before theyll be able to go in and assess the scene. Please be careful everyone! "Right now we feel like everything is in pretty good shape," he told the TV station. The explosion lit up the night sky in eastern Kanawha County. 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. The explosion was massive. KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) West Virginia American Water says customers are not impacted by the chemical plant explosion. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. According to a spokesperson from the family, John Gillenwater was killed. Senator says it's time to get construction started. The explosion sent large chunks of metal through the air. Chemours formed as a spinoff from DuPont in 2015. 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 area is the location of theformer DuPont chemical plant. Local outlet WOWK reported that several schools in the area also announced closures for Wednesday, following the explosion. As of just before 2 a.m. Wednesday, the commission reported the fire was still burning at the plant. The plant is along the Kanawha River in eastern Kanawha County.Belle, with a population of around 1,100, is southeast of Charleston. Maintenance staff were troubleshooting it when the incident took place. BELLE, W. Va. (KDKA/AP) - A shelter-in-place order has been lifted for hundreds of people following an explosion and fire at the former Dupont Chemical Plant in Belle, West Virginia.. John was beloved by many in his community and his church, the family said in a statement. Shelter in place up within two miles of Belle. Unauthorized use is prohibited. But Donna Willis, 58, a disabled legal secretary who grew up in Institute and remembers the toxic releases and explosions, argued that drawing a bright line between the coal and chemical industries as if they have nothing to do with each other misses the larger point. "But it doesn't ever get any better.". Do Not Sell My Personal Information The Associated Press contributed to this report. Minutes later, the Belle fire chief and volunteer firefighters arrived. The fire was reportedly still burning early Wednesday morning and officials at the scene said it would have to burn itself out before they could go in to evaluate. 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. 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I urge all those in and near Belle to stay tuned to local media & follow instructions from local officials.. The location was a DuPont facility for many years in an area commonly referred to as the Chemical Valley not far from West Virginias capital. The DuPont Spruance manufacturing site sits along the James River in Richmond, Virginia. CHARLESTON An explosion at Optima Chemical's facility on the Chemours Co.'s site in Belle, West Virginia, on Tuesday night killed one of the plant's workers, sent several others to According to the Kanawha County Commission, the Kanawha County Emergency Operations Center has been activated. Follow Laura Parker on Twitter and Facebook. The life expectancy of the solar panels is more than 35 years. Then, in 2008, after the plant was bought by Bayer CropScience, an explosion killed two workers. The Associated Press contributed to this report. One person was severely injured. 10 December 2020. Two of the people transported were from inside the plant. It was at Optima Belle Chemical, a tenant of the Chemours Company Plant site. This is a developing story. John was the sole bread winner for his family.. 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. All Belle Chemical Company units have been shut down. For all the industrial incidents and accidents, residents say not much in their state seems to change.