Chlorine Leak Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Chlorine Release Prompts Shelter-In-Place Order In South Charleston

The release of chlorine gas at the Clearon Corp. occurred Thursday morning, according to the governor’s office.

A shelter-in-place order was briefly issued in South Charleston early Thursday because of a chemical spill.

The release of chlorine gas at the Clearon Corp. occurred Thursday morning, according to the governor’s office.

No injuries were reported, and the order was lifted soon after it was put in place.

Clearon, based in South Charleston, specializes in spa and pool water treatment, industrial water treatment and commercial and industrial cleaning and disinfection products.

While local emergency management officials described the release as minor, chlorine can be deadly in higher concentrations.

Nine people were killed in Graniteville, South Carolina, in January 2005 after the derailment of a freight train released chlorine. A few hundred more were treated for chlorine inhalation.

Even exposure to low levels of chlorine can cause nose, throat and eye irritation.

The 10 Biggest Stories from West Virginia's 2016

What were the top stories in West Virginia from 2016? We searched our archives from the past year and compiled this list of the most popular stories.

As we cap off 2016, West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s producers and programs share their most memorable moments of the year. Find each of our Best of 2016 posts at wvpublic.org/term/best-2016.

10. Chlorine Leak from Axiall Corp. Sends Two to Hospital, Evacuates Communities

Two people were transported to hospitals for inhalation injuries, others were treated at the site of a reported chlorine leak in Marshall County.

9. Governor Tomblin Signs Budget that Taps Reserves

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed that took $147.5 million from the state’s $922 million Rainy Day Fund to cover a projected shortfall.

8. Blankenship Gets One Year in Prison, One Year Supervised Release, $250,000 Fine

Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was sentenced to the maximum one year in prison and another year of supervised release for his role in a conspiracy at the company to skirt mine safety standards.

7. Ohio Man Arrested in Connection with Huntington Overdoses

An Akron, Ohio man was arrested connection with a rash of overdoses in Huntington. Emergency crews responded to 26 overdoses in a four-hour span and two people died in connection with the same batch of heroin distributed in the city.

6. W.Va. Medicaid Doctors Put on Alert as State’s Cash Flows Dwindle

More than 24,000 doctors across West Virginia who accept Medicaid were put on alert Monday that the state may not be able to “continue to process claims at the same consistent level.”

5. PEIA Board Approves $120 Million in Cuts for Second Time

the state Public Employees Insurance Agency, or PEIA, Finance Board voted unanimously to reinstate benefit cuts, affecting health care costs for some 230,000 West Virginians.

4. Common Core, School Calendar Bills Vetoed

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed two education bills, one that would have repealed Common Core aligned standardized tests in the state and a second that would have allowed county boards to schedule fewer then 180 days in their school calendars.

3. West Virginia Senate Approves ‘Brunch Bill’

Senators unanimously passed a bill that would move the start of Sunday alcohol sales from 1 p.m. to 10 a.m.

2. Election 2016

From the primary elections in May to the general election in November, election stories were constant sources of headlines in 2016. Here were the top posts:

Live Blog: 2016 West Virginia Primary

10 Takeaways from the W.Va. Primary Election

‘Trump Digs Coal’ at Charleston Rally

Election 2016: West Virginia Goes For Trump, Justice Wins, State Legislature Remains with GOP

1. June 2016 Flood

Heavy flooding in West Virginia during June claimed 23 lives, destroyed more than 4,000 homes and businesses and resulted in 10 counties being declared federal disaster area. Through statewide coverage and individual stories, this disaster produced the most compelling stories of 2016

Flooding in Richwood: Image Gallery

Greenbrier Resort Opens Doors to Flood Victims

‘I Almost Gave Up’: Flood Survivor Remembers the Voice Who Saved Her

Inside Appalachia: West Virginia’s 1,000 Year Flood

You’ve now experienced 2016 through West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Make sure to follow @wvpublic on social media and sign-up for our email newsletter to keep up with 2017’s stories.

NTSB: Railcar in Chlorine Leak Had 46-Inch Crack

A report by the National Transportation Safety Board says the design of a railcar that leaked chlorine at a New Martinsville plant had been under scrutiny.

The NTSB issued the preliminary report Monday detailing the Aug. 27 chlorine gas spill at the Axiall Natrium plant.

The report describes a 46-inch-long crack on one end of the tank car that leaked, located on a part called the “stub sill.” Ninety tons of chlorine were released from the crack.

The tank was built in 1981 and had a particular “sub sill” underframe called an ACF 200. In 2006, the Federal Railroad Administration issued a safety advisory that noted “defects in some tank cars equipped with the ACF 200 sub sills,” including cracks.

Axiall Corp. spokesman Chip Swearingen says the company is fully cooperating with the NTSB.

Residents Suing Chemical Producer After Chlorine Leak

Residents in the Proctor area of West Virginia are suing one of the nation’s largest chlorine producers after a cloud of chlorine gas leaked from a railcar inside a company chemical plant.

Attorney Jim Bordas says Saturday’s chlorine leak at the Axiall Corp. plant forced residents from their homes and damaged their properties. The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that about 17,000 gallons of chlorine leaked out.

Officials with Westlake Chemical Corp., which completed a $3.8 billion acquisition of Axiall on Wednesday, didn’t respond to requests for comment from The Intelligencer.

The newspaper reports that Bordas filed in Marshall County Circuit Court on behalf of Tim Bohrer, Rhonda Bohrer, Roy Yoho and Darlene Yoho.

National Agency to Investigate Chlorine Leak at W.Va. Plant

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of a chlorine leak at a West Virginia chemical plant that prompted some communities nearby to evacuate and workers to seek medical attention.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that the NTSB announced its decision Wednesday to investigate the leak at Axiall Corp.’s chemical plant in Natrium.

Axiall said a rail tanker car loaded with liquid chlorine developed a leak at the chemical facility on Saturday. The resulting cloud forced hundreds from their homes. Five plant workers were treated at an on-site health facility and two other workers were treated at a hospital and later released.

On Saturday, the NTSB also said it would not investigate, but agency spokesman Eric Weiss said Wednesday that unspecified “new information” prompted the agency to change course. He did not elaborate.

Chlorine Leak at West Virginia Chemical Plant Investigated

Officials are investigating the cause of a chlorine leak at a chemical plant near Proctor, West Virginia.

The Intelligencer reports that 33,000 gallons of liquid chlorine leaked Saturday from a railcar inside Axiall Corp.’s Natrium chemical plant. The resulting cloud forced hundreds of people from homes in the area.

Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Kelley Gillenwater says local, state and federal officials are working to analyze the cause of the leak. She says the chlorine gas has since dissipated and that the risk to the environment from the leak is expected to be minimal.

Operations at the chemical plant continued normally Monday.