A chemical leak at a West Virginia factory on April 22 killed at least two people and sent nearly 20 people to the hospital.
The leak was reported shortly after 9:30 a.m. ET at Catalyst Refiners, a facility used to recover silver, the Kanawha County Commission said in a news release.
Local officials said at a news conference that the official cause of the leak is still under investigation by local, state and federal authorities.
However, preliminary information indicates that workers at the site were in the process of cleaning and closing at least part of the facility, including decontaminating the area. Officials said a chemical reaction during the cleaning process produced hydrogen sulfide, and employees at the scene immediately called emergency services.
Initial responses resulted in 21 people being transported to hospitals or seeking medical attention in connection with the breach. One of them is in critical condition, the committee said.
At least two people were also killed in connection with the incident, local officials said. Their identities were being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
This facility is located within the Institute, an unincorporated community along the Kanawha River. It is located approximately 16 miles northwest of the state capital, Charleston.
West Virginia shelter-in-place
Officials lifted some shelter-in-place warnings from earlier in the day, but warnings remained in effect between the power plant site and West Virginia State University.
Catalyst Refiners’ owner, Ames Goldsmith Corporation, said in a statement to USA TODAY that it was “deeply saddened by the deaths of two of our colleagues.”
“These are incredibly difficult times, and our thoughts and prayers are with our colleagues and their families,” Frank Barber, president of Ames Goldsmiths, said in a statement.
Barber said the smoke was contained only to that building, and additional catalyst refinery employees were being tested at area hospitals as a precaution.
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.
