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. Audio. 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. The Senate bill shrinks the copay cap from $100 to $35. 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. The Belle Volunteer Fire Department was also at the scene along with every volunteer fire department in the area.. A mans world? It happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Chemours plant along W. Dupont Ave. in Belle. One was a driver who was injured by debris from the explosion that struck their vehicle. 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. All Belle Chemical Company units have been shut down. SHELTER IN PLACE IS IN EFFECT. Belle Mayor David Fletcher, who doubles as a volunteer firefighter, says the fire was put out and an order for residents in the area to remain indoors was lifted early Wednesday. All rights reserved. Maintenance staff were troubleshooting it when the incident took place. Several schools in the area have already canceled classes Wednesday. 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. 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.. According to the Kanawha County Commission, the Kanawha County Emergency Operations Center has been activated. 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 Explosion at the Chemours Plant. Manchin visits Milton, discusses new federal funding for floodwall project. An aerial view of Catenary Coal Co. mountaintop removal site near Kayford Mountain in West Virginia. One person was severely injured. The Chemours representative says the incident did not originate in the Chemours plant located on the site and that all Chemours employees were safe and accounted for Tuesday evening. 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. It's the former DuPont chemical plant. It was at Optima Belle Chemical, a tenant of the Chemours Company Plant site. The water company says customers will not see any changes to their water services. The Rush to Green Could Leave Us in the Dark. 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. December 9, 2020 / 9:45 AM 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. Photo courtesy Aaron Spencer, Thousands without power in West Virginia after strong winds move across the state. Gov. Aerial drone footage of explosion at Chemours plant in Kanawha County (courtesy of Aaron Spencer). The 'extreme cruelty' around the global trade in frog legs, What does cancer smell like? According to a spokesperson from the family, John Gillenwater was killed. One person was severely injured. Four people were reported injured initially, but Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper said one person later died. According to emergency officials, the explosion occurred at 8:40 a.m. in a furnace. 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. Chemours formed as a spinoff from DuPont in 2015. They say first responders will have to let the fire burn out before theyll be able to go in and assess the scene. The groundbreaking promise of cellular housekeeping. "We drink the water, too.". Governor Justice stated a little after 11 p.m. that he has been monitoring the situation. But the real buildup came with World War I and the demand for explosives and other chemical products. It happened Tuesday night at the Chemours property site in Belle. Keep checking the WSAZ App for the latest information. 9 Dec 2020. John was beloved by many in his community and his church. Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest information. Imagesposted on Twitter showed the fire from across the Kanawha River. Weve contacted the state and the Governors Office for assistance, Carper said. Updated The shelter in place was lifted about 2:30 Wednesday morning. 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. Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said three people were transported to the hospital, while a fourth person took himself to seek treatment. UPDATE | Water customers not impacted by chemical plant explosion in Kanawha County. People who lived in the area reported their houses shook. 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 Elk River spill is the region's third accident in the last five years. People who lived in the area reported their houses shook. The name of the . A shelter in place order has been issued for residents living within two miles of the plant. The fire was under control by early Wednesday, Chemours said, and later that morning a shelter-in-place that had been issued for people living within a two-mile radius of the plant was lifted by emergency authorities. His family is "devastated over the loss of their husband, father and friend," according to NBC affiliate WSAZ of Huntington. 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. 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. 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. Four people had confirmed injuries from the incident, Carper said about midnight. A 2-mile radius was ordered to shelter in place around the Chemours chemical complex in Belle, WV, WOWK-TV reported. That includes Carver Career Center, Riverside High School, DuPont Middle, East Bank Middle, Cedar Grove middle and elementary, plus local elementary schools Belle, Chesapeake, Malden, Marmet, Mary Ingles, Midland Trail, Pratt and Sharon Dawes. ORIGINAL STORY: Emergency crews are on the scene of an explosion and fire at the Chemours Chemical Plant on West Dupont Ave. in Belle. The coal-cleansing chemical that spilled from Freedom Industries' storage tank into the Elk River last Thursday is only the latest insult in what for some has been a lifetime of industrial accidents that have poisoned groundwater, spewed toxic gas emissions, and caused fires, explosions, and other disasters that neither state nor federal regulators have been able to protect against. A National Geographic team has made the first ascent of the remote Mount Michael, looking for a lava lake in the volcanos crater. No staff should report. Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper said three people were transported to the hospital, while a fourth person took himself to seek treatment. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. 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. 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. The complex is a former DuPont chemical plant. 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. The Rush to Green Could Leave Us in the Dark, All Belle Chemical Company employees have been accounted for and safely evacuated from the premises. After the 2008 explosion at Bayer CropScience, the federal Chemical Safety Board recommended new state and federal safety regulations. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our Belle employees, their families, and members of the surrounding community who have been affected.. 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 explosion sent large chunks of metal through the air. James Mason, whos with KCEAA, said they have their mass causality teams and mass triage teams ready as a precautionary measure. Discovery Company. We encourage those who would like to show support for Tina and the family during this time to donate by contacting any local branch referencing the benefit account for John Gillenwater.. As of just before 2 a.m. Wednesday, the commission reported the fire was still burning at the plant. ET, WCHS reported. DUPONT PLANT IN BELLE WEST VIRGINIA JUST HAD AN EXPLOSION! "John was beloved by many in his community and his church," the told the station. 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. appreciated. Kanawha County Emergency Management Director, CW Sigman, tells WSAZ.com chlorine and methanol were involved in the explosion. Shelter in place up within two miles of Belle. 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. 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. Carper told WCHS that one individual was taken to CAMC General Hospital by ambulance and another individual drove themselves to Montgomery General Hospital. And though some of West Virginia's chemical manufacturers have shifted to Calgary's gas fields and to the oil-rich Gulf Coast in recent years, the discovery of the Marcellus Shalewhich extends throughout much of the eastern United States and is touted as the largest natural gas field in the worldhas raised hopes of a rebirth of Chemical Valley. "Right now we feel like everything is in pretty good shape," he told the TV station. Shelter in place up within two miles of Belle. The Senate bill shrinks the copay cap from $100 to $35. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Students should log in to Schoology for eLearning. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The explosion involved chlorinated dry bleach and methanol, Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper told the local WCHS reporter Whitney Wetzel. Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper saidtwo people were injured. Gayle and I send our thoughts and prayers to John Gillenwaters family, friends, and loved ones, especially his wife Tina and their children. Carper also says it does not appear any chemicals got into the Kanawha River. There was a shelter in place for a two-mile radius late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, according to dispatchers. 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. Four . Or to see children with chronic skin rashes. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much A shelter-in-place is in effect after a chemical plant explosion Tuesday night in the Belle area of Kanawha County, West Virginia. House approves bill named after fallen Charleston police officer. Tina and her children are surrounded by family and friends in this great time of need. "The explosion was massive. A 'very serious' blast at a West Virginia chemical plant has left four people injured and forced all residents within a two-mile radius to shelter in place, after chlorinated dry bleach and.