00:03At approximately 9.31 a.m., a chem-fix incident was reported at Catalyst Refiners in Institute.
00:10That site was used to manufacture silver catalyst.
00:14A shelter-in-place was put into effect for a one-mile radius of the site.
00:20Preliminary information indicates the site was in the process of shutting down its operations,
00:24and cleaning and decontamination activities were underway in preparation for the closure of that site.
00:32At this time, it is believed that a chemical reaction occurred during that cleaning process that created hydrogen sulfide.
00:42At approximately 9.33 a.m., Metro 911 received a call from Catalyst Refiners reporting the release.
00:51Emergency management, HAZMAT teams, and first responders were immediately notified.
00:58At 9.46 a.m., the emergency operations center was activated here at Metro.
01:05At approximately 9.53 a.m., first responders were on scene, and that's when the one-mile shelter-in-place
01:14was announced.
01:16Twenty-one individuals from the site have been transported or have sought medical treatment or evaluation.
01:23I am sad to report that two individuals have passed away as a result of the incident.
01:32Five of the 21 individuals were Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance employees
01:38who were evaluated at a hospital for potential exposure as a precaution.
01:45We are not going to release the names of the individuals who passed or any of the individuals that have
01:52sought treatment.
01:53It is our understanding that the company has notified the families of the two individuals who passed away
02:00and one individual who is in critical condition at a local hospital.
02:06HAZMAT teams are still assessing the scene.
02:08Air monitoring is being conducted around the facility.
02:11Teams are preparing to make entry into the facility as soon as it is safe to do so.
02:18First responders have notified the National Response Center so that appropriate federal agencies can be alerted.
02:24At this time, the shelter-in-place remains.
02:27We do not have a time frame on when that shelter-in-place will be lifted.
02:32It's just they were decommissioning the facility.
02:37What's called M2000A and nitric acid were mixed in a pump area.
02:42They were decommissioning the tank.
02:45That's when the explosion occurred and the leak.
02:49Employees were, other employees drug out the affected workers using respirators.
02:54Many of them had respirators.
02:57When I got there, firefighters and the EMS personnel were doing CPR on two of the patients, trying to revive
03:04them.
03:05As far as cleaning tanks, is mixing M2000A and nitric acid, is that a standard procedure?
03:11That would be a question you have to ask them what their standard procedures are.
03:14My understanding, talking to the plant manager, it was not uncommon.
03:17It was what they do.
03:18But there was something going on that was different.
03:22That would be for the investigators to determine.
03:25I do not know that.
03:27Is this impacting water at all?
03:29No, no.
03:30Water plants, if we get water around here and in the St. Albans, will not be affected.
03:34This stuff is a gas.
03:35It did not get into the water.
03:38There's no water.
03:39Even if it did get into water, there's no water treatment plants until you get to Huntington from that location.
03:44So, it will not affect drinking water or anything like that.
03:53I appreciate it.
03:54I appreciate it.
03:55I appreciate it.
03:55I appreciate it.
03:55I appreciate it.
03:55I appreciate it.
03:55I appreciate it.
03:55I appreciate it.
03:56I appreciate it.
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