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.

8 Workers Injured in Boiler Accident Released from Hospital

Axiall Corp. says eight contract workers injured in a boiler accident at its Natrium plant in West Virginia have been released from the hospital.

The company says two other workers were expected to be released on Wednesday. Another worker remained hospitalized under observation.

The accident occurred around 7 a.m. Tuesday in the power plant of at the facility in New Martinsville. Axiall said Wednesday in a statement that the coal-fired boiler remains shut down but the plant is operating normally.

The accident is under investigation.

According to the Atlanta-based chemical manufacturer’s website, the plant makes chlorine, caustic soda and hydrochloric acid.

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