Two workers died and more than 30 others were treated or examined after a violent chemical reaction at the Catalyst Refiners Inc. Plant in Institute, West Virginia, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, according to Kanawha County officials.
The incident occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. When a crew was cleaning out a chemical storage tank as part of a decommissioning process, triggering a reaction that released fumes containing nitric acid, hydrogen sulfide gas and another chemical compound, said Kanawha County Emergency Management Director C.W. Sigman.
Workers at the plant put on respirators, pulled injured colleagues from the building and contacted authorities, Sigman said. When he arrived, personnel were already administering CPR to the injured employees.
A shelter-in-place order was issued for a one-mile radius around the plant and later lifted by evening, officials confirmed. A decontamination station was set up on West Virginia Route 25 in the Institute/Nitro area and operated by the Charleston Fire Department Hazmat Unit with assistance from the St. Albans Fire Department.
As many as 20 other individuals — including seven emergency services workers responding to the incident — were either treated, examined or admitted to area hospitals, Sigman said. By evening, Gov. Patrick Morrisey stated that upwards of 30 people had been evaluated or transported to hospitals.
The West Virginia Department of Homeland Security’s Emergency Management Division, the Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Protection are coordinating with Kanawha County Emergency Management to address the incident, according to West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Gov. Morrisey joined county commissioners Lance Wheeler and Natalie Tennant at a press conference at the Kanawha County Emergency Operations Center, where he noted that all road closures and shelter-in-place orders had been lifted. He indicated that state and federal investigations would follow in the coming days.
Catalyst Refiners Inc. Operates the facility at the site along the border of Nitro and Institute, which has been identified in public records as the Ames Goldsmith Catalyst Refiners plant.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection were on scene to monitor air quality following the leak, as reported by multiple state and local news outlets citing official sources.
No further details about the identities of the deceased workers or the critically injured individual have been released by authorities as of Thursday, April 23, 2026.
Investigation Underway Into Cause of Chemical Reaction
Officials have not yet disclosed the specific chemical compound involved beyond nitric acid and hydrogen sulfide, nor have they confirmed whether safety protocols were followed during the tank-cleaning operation. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board may become involved in the investigation given the nature of the incident, though no formal announcement has been made.
Kanawha County Commissioner Natalie Tennant said at the press conference that the county would support any state or federal inquiry into the incident. She emphasized the importance of determining what went wrong to prevent future occurrences.
The plant has been operational for years in the Kanawha Valley, an area known for chemical manufacturing activity. Past incidents at similar facilities in the region have prompted reviews of safety procedures, though no direct links to prior events at this site have been established by investigators.
Community Impact and Response Efforts
The shelter-in-place order affected residents and businesses within a one-mile radius of the plant, prompting temporary closures and traffic diversions along West Virginia Route 25 and nearby roads. Local emergency services coordinated evacuations and medical triage at the scene.
Area hospitals received patients for evaluation, though specific medical conditions beyond the two fatalities and one critical injury were not disclosed by health officials citing patient privacy.
The Charleston Fire Department Hazmat Unit, which led decontamination efforts, stated that their teams followed standard protocols for chemical exposure incidents, including setting up exclusion zones and providing medical screening for potentially exposed individuals.
By late Wednesday evening, air monitoring conducted by the EPA and WVDEP showed no detectable levels of harmful chemicals beyond the immediate incident site, allowing officials to lift the shelter-in-place order.
Residents in the Institute and Nitro communities expressed concern about the proximity of chemical plants to residential areas, though no formal protests or public meetings have been reported as of Thursday morning.
What Happens Next
The next confirmed step in the process is the completion of initial incident reports by Kanawha County Emergency Management, which are expected to be submitted to state authorities within the coming days. No date has been set for a public update from Gov. Morrisey’s office or the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.
Federal agencies including OSHA and the EPA may review the incident for potential violations of workplace safety or environmental regulations, though no investigations have been formally announced at this time.
For ongoing updates, the public is encouraged to monitor official channels including the Kanawha County Emergency Management Agency website and the West Virginia Emergency Management Division’s alert system.
If you have information about this incident or were affected by the chemical leak, authorities advise contacting the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office or the West Virginia State Police.