Latest news with #VintonCounty
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Huge chemical spill in Ohio grounds flights, sparks mass evacuations, and creates ominous dust cloud
A large chemical spill in Ohio has grounded all flights within 4,000 square miles and sparked mass evacuations. Thousands of gallons of nitric acid, a hazardous chemical compound that can irritate eyes, throats and lungs, leaked from a tank at the Austin Powder Red Diamond plant in McArthur on Wednesday morning. The company produces industrial explosives used for construction and mining. It is unclear how the leak started - but thick orange plumes of smoke were seen billowing across the blue sky in the area. An immediate evacuation order has been announced by the Vinton County Sheriff's Office, specifically for Zaleski - a small village in Ohio with a population of 750 locals. The panic occurred 185 miles east of where the 2023 toxic chemical train derailment happened in East Palestine, which completely devastated the small town. On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration banned nearly all airlines from flying within 3,700 square miles of airspace and 30 nautical miles near the spill. Only 'relief flights' are allowed in the no-fly zone. Dispatchers are currently directing local residents to evacuate their homes and go to the Vinton County High School gym. It could be hours before the air is deemed safe. The massive leak is coming from a storage tank that holds 5,000 gallons of nitric acid, according to Jackson County Emergency Management. Robert Czechlewski, Jackson County Emergency Management Director, said 3,000 gallons leaked from the tank. There are no reports of injuries from the chemical leak. In addition to feeling irritation in the eyes and nose, people could also feel drowsy and possibly fall unconscious, Brad Price with the Vinton County Health Department said. Price said anyone exposed to the dangerous chemical should immediately flush out their eyes and clean their skin. If symptoms worsen, he has urged people to call their primary health care provider for further assistance. Several local roads are also closed in the area, WBNS reported.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Chemical leak prompts entire Ohio town to be evacuated
A chemical leak in an Ohio town has prompted officials to evacuate hundreds of residents. There was a large release of nitric acid at a powder plant near the village of Zaleski Wednesday morning, WSYX reported, citing local emergency official Robert Czechlewski. A tank with a 5,000-gallon capacity had a leak, which caused the nitric acid to release. Around 3,000 gallons of nitric acid was released, The Telegram News reported, citing officials. It's unclear what caused the leak. The plant, located in McArthur, makes explosives for mining and construction, according to WBNS. Residents of Zaleski, about an hour and 30 minutes' drive southeast of Columbus, were evacuated as a result. According to the World Population Review, Zaleski has a population of just 216 residents. The Vinton County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook Wednesday morning, 'A shelter has been setup at the Vinton County High School for those with no where to go.' Czechlewski said that when the nitric acid was released, it created a chemical reaction, causing a plume of nitric oxide that looked like a red cloud, WOWK reported. Czechlewski said situations like this typically last for a few hours, and that it is dependent on wind conditions. He said the plume is heading northeast. Once the leak is contained, the Environmental Protection Agency said it will monitor the air quality, according to WOWK. The Ohio EPA wrote on Facebook Wednesday afternoon the release of the chemicals has stopped and no injuries have been reported. A spokeswoman for the plant said that all of its employees are safe, per The Telegram News. Most workers were temporarily sent away, while some stayed back to do assessments. The plant has canceled production for the rest of the day. Senator Jon Husted, an Ohio Republican, wrote on X Wednesday afternoon, 'My team and I are closely monitoring the chemical leak in McArthur and remain in contact with federal, state, and local authorities on the situation. Please stay safe, follow local guidance, and reach out to my Columbus office if we can help.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Nitric acid leak in Ohio sparks mass evacuations
A large chemical spill in Ohio has grounded all flights within 4,000 square miles and sparked mass evacuations. Thousands of gallons of nitric acid, a hazardous chemical compound that can irritate eyes, throats and lungs, leaked from a tank at Austin Powder Red Diamond plant in McArthur on Wednesday morning. The company produces industrial explosives used for construction and mining purposes. It is unclear how the leak started - but thick orange plumes of smoke were seen billowing across the blue sky in the area. An immediate evacuation order has been announced by the Vinton County Sheriff's Office, specifically for Zaleski - a small village in Ohio with a population of 750 locals. The panic occurred 185 miles east of where the 2023 toxic chemical train derailment happened in East Palestine, which completely devastated the small town. The massive leak is coming from a storage tank that holds 5,000 gallons of nitric acid, according to Jackson County Emergency Management. Robert Czechlewski, Jackson County Emergency Management Director, said 3,000 gallons leaked from the tank. When nitric acid mixes with the air, it causes a chemical reaction that produces nitric oxide, which creates and orange, brown gas to release. There are no reports of injuries from the chemical leak. In addition to feeling irritation in the eyes and nose, people could also feel drowsy and possibly fall unconscious, Brad Price with the Vinton County Health Department said. Price said anyone exposed to the dangerous chemical should immediately flush out their eyes and clean their skin. If symptoms worsen, he has urged people to call their primary health care provider for further assistance. Several local roads are also closed in the area, WBNS reported. The train disaster in East Palestine, Ohio (pictured), two years ago caused chemicals, many of which are known carcinogens, to spill into the soil of the 5,000-person town and the nearby Ohio River. They also spread through the air in massive 'really toxic' smoke plumes,' which could increase the risk of 'cancer clusters' forming, according to the head of the watchdog group. East Palestine residents are still exposed to a dozen chemicals linked to respiratory issues, fatigue, high blood pressure, leukemia and kidney, lung, liver and brain cancer. And a recent paper found 540,000 square miles, spanning 16 states, were exposed to traces of volatile chemicals during the disaster. Over a dozen chemicals were in the rail cars, including several carcinogens. Vinyl chloride, for example, travels through the blood and gets broken down by the liver into even more toxic chemicals. Norfolk Southern - the train company that was derailed - agreed to pay $600 million in a class-action lawsuit settlement to the residents of the Ohio town in April of 2024. And at the beginning of this year, a fresh lawsuit alleged for the first time that people died because of the disastrous 2023 train derailment. The new litigation contains the first seven wrongful death claims filed against Norfolk Southern railroad - including the death of a 1-week-old baby. It also alleges the railroad, and its contractors botched the cleanup while officials at the EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on it and failed to warn residents about the health risks. Many of the other parties in the lawsuit cite lingering, unexplained health problems along with concerns something more serious could develop.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Panic in Ohio as huge NITRIC ACID spill grounds flights, sparks mass evacuations and creates ominous dust cloud
A large chemical spill in Ohio has grounded all flights within 4,000 miles and sparked mass evacuations. Thousands of gallons of nitric acid - a hazardous chemical compound that can irritate eyes, throats and lungs - leaked from a tank at Austin Powder Red Diamond plant in McArthur Wednesday morning. The company produces industrial explosives used for construction and mining purposes. An 'immediate evacuation order' has been announced by the Vinton County Sheriff's Office, specifically for Zaleski - a small village in Ohio. Dispatchers are currently directing people to evacuate to the Vinton County High School gym. The massive leak is coming from a storage tank that holds more than 5,000 gallons of nitric acid, according to Emergency Management.
