Updated: Glycolic Acid Leak Reported at Plant in Belle

West Virginia environmental workers responded to a glycolic acid leak at a chemical plant in Belle.

Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Kelly Gillenwater says a team was dispatched to monitor the area around the DuPont plant after Wednesday’s incident.

Gillenwater tells the Charleston Gazette the leak occurred when DuPont employees turned on a piece of equipment that had been shut down for maintenance.

DuPont blamed the leak on an equipment failure.

A spokeswoman said the leak was “well under the reportable quantity.”

The spokeswoman, Robin Ollis Stemple, says no one was injured or exposed to the chemical. She says employees briefly sheltered in place as a precaution.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story misidentified the chemical in question as formaldehyde.