Chemical Leak At West Virginia Silver Recovery Plant Kills 2 And Sends About 30 To Hospitals
Two workers have died and about 30 people were sent to hospitals after a chemical leak at a West Virginia silver recovery plant.
The incident happened at Catalyst Refiners, a silver recovery plant operated by Ames Goldsmith Corp. near Institute, West Virginia, while workers were cleaning and preparing the site for closure. Officials say a chemical reaction involving nitric acid and another substance produced toxic hydrogen sulfide in a violent, instantaneous overreaction during shutdown preparations. Two people were killed on site and about 30 others were taken to hospitals, with earlier tallies ranging from 19 to more than 20 evaluated.
Seven of the injured were ambulance workers who responded to the scene, officials said. WVU Medicine Thomas Memorial Hospital treated about a dozen people, most with non-life-threatening injuries, and some patients were in the nearby area rather than inside the plant. Reported symptoms included cough, shortness of breath, sore throat and itchy eyes among those exposed. Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order that lasted more than five hours and ran a large decontamination operation that required people to remove clothing and be sprayed down. Ames Goldsmith Corp.'s president, Frank Barber, called the event an 'unfathomably difficult time' and said the company will cooperate with local, state and federal investigators.
Early reports from outlets such as The New York Times and PBS focused on confirming deaths and on-site details of the emergency. Later reporting, particularly from NPR, expanded the picture by raising hospital counts to about 30 and by adding patient symptom details and air-quality context. That shift made clearer which health effects reached nearby hospitals and reinforced officials' view that the gas was not widely detectable beyond close proximity to the plant.
📌 Key Facts
- Two people were killed at the Catalyst Refiners plant, a silver recovery/metal‑processing facility near Institute, West Virginia, during a chemical emergency.
- About 30 people were sent to hospitals with exposure-related injuries; earlier reports cited 19 hospitalized. One patient was reported in serious condition, and seven of the injured were ambulance workers who responded to the leak.
- The incident occurred during shutdown preparations while workers were cleaning and decontaminating the site; a violent, instantaneous chemical reaction involving nitric acid and another substance produced toxic hydrogen sulfide gas.
- All deaths and injuries occurred on the plant site; officials said the gas was not widely detectable beyond close proximity and they believe local air quality and the water supply were unaffected.
- Emergency response included a shelter‑in‑place order for the surrounding area that lasted more than five hours and a large‑scale decontamination operation that required people to remove clothing and be sprayed down.
- The plant is owned by Ames Goldsmith Corp.; the company issued a statement expressing sorrow, calling the event an "unfathomably difficult time," and pledging cooperation with local, state and federal investigators.
- Hospitalized patients reported symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, sore throat and itchy eyes; WVU Medicine Thomas Memorial Hospital treated about a dozen patients, most with non‑life‑threatening injuries who were in the area but not at the plant.
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms about 30 people were sent to hospitals, including one in serious condition, expanding beyond the earlier figure of 19 injured.
- Specifies that a chemical gas reaction involving nitric acid and another substance produced toxic hydrogen sulfide during shutdown preparations.
- Details that seven of the injured were ambulance workers responding to the leak.
- Notes that WVU Medicine Thomas Memorial Hospital treated a dozen patients, most with non-life-threatening injuries who were in the area but not at the plant.
- Reports that the shelter-in-place order for the surrounding area lasted more than five hours before being lifted.
- Includes symptom details from hospital officials: cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, and itchy eyes among exposed patients.
- States that officials believe local air quality and water supply were unaffected because the gas was not widely detectable beyond close proximity to the facility.
- Adds company comment from Ames Goldsmith Corp. president Frank Barber calling the event an "unfathomably difficult time" and pledging cooperation with investigators.
- Confirms the plant operator as Catalyst Refiners Inc., consistent with earlier multi-source reporting.
- Specifies that workers were cleaning and decontaminating a metal processing site in preparation for closing it down when the incident occurred.
- Identifies the gas released as hydrogen sulfide, rather than just a generic 'chemical gas'.
- Reaffirms the rough casualty scope as two deaths and more than 20 evaluated for injuries, broadly aligning with earlier figures.
- Identifies the facility as the Catalyst Refiners plant, a silver recovery business, located near Institute, West Virginia.
- Specifies that a chemical gas reaction involving nitric acid and another substance caused a violent, instantaneous overreaction during shutdown preparations.
- Confirms 19 people hospitalized and 2 killed, including that seven of the injured were ambulance workers responding to the leak.
- Details the emergency response: a shelter in place order for the surrounding area lasting more than five hours and a large scale decontamination operation requiring people to remove clothing and be sprayed down.
- Includes the owner's identity, Ames Goldsmith Corp., and its public statement expressing sorrow and pledging cooperation with local, state and federal investigators.
- Notes that all deaths and injuries occurred on the plant site and that the gas was not widely detectable beyond close proximity to the facility.
- New York Times confirms two fatalities and describes the incident as a 'chemical emergency' at a West Virginia plant.
- Article clarifies that the emergency involved a specific plant operation rather than a broader community release.
- Provides updated detail on the sequence of the emergency response at the facility.