Photo: Nitro Fire Department
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board opened an investigation into the fatal chemical release on April 22 at the Catalyst Refiners, Inc. facility in Nitro, West Virginia that resulted in the death of two workers and injured several others.
Catalyst Refiners conducts silver and ethylene oxide catalyst refining operations and is owned by the Ames Goldsmith Corporation.
CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said, “We are opening an investigation into this tragic incident to determine how it happened and identify ways to help prevent something like this from happening again.”
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According to initial information, the incident involved a chemical reaction that occurred during the cleaning and decommissioning of equipment at the facility when nitric acid and another substance reportedly were mixed, resulting in the generation and release of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas in a building at the facility where numerous employees were present.
In addition to the two fatalities, more than 30 people sought medical care, including one who reportedly was in critical condition. A shelter-in-place also was issued for the surrounding community.
According to HD Media reports, Kanawha County Emergency Management Director C.W. Sigman at a news conference seven emergency service workers were transported from the incident site within what he called a “warehouse-sized building” where silver is recovered from other chemical processes.
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The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the Institute Volunteer Fire Department provided air monitoring after the incident, HD Media reported.
Board Member Sylvia Johnson said, “This incident has had a real impact on workers, and on the surrounding community. Understanding what went wrong is essential so that facilities handling hazardous chemicals can operate more safely and responsibly.”
HD Media reported on the site’s violation history, saying Catalyst Refiners’ facility released 1,310 pounds of nitric acid from 2014 through 2024, according to EPA data.
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The CSB is an independent, nonregulatory federal agency charged with investigating incidents and hazards that result, or may result, in the catastrophic release of extremely hazardous substances. The agency’s core mission activities include conducting incident investigations to identify root cause of releases; formulating preventive or mitigative recommendations based on investigation findings and advocating for their implementation; issuing reports containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations arising from incident investigations; and conducting studies on chemical hazards.
The agency’s board members are appointed by the president subject to Senate confirmation. The Board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.
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