Officials asked residents of the Carbon area of Kanawha County, W.Va. to shelter in place because of a leak of anhydrous ammonia.
Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Kathy Cosco says the chemical is leaking from a 1,000-gallon tank at a mine site. She says the chemical is used there for water treatment.
Cosco says a hazardous materials team is at the scene.
Kanawha Metro 911 issued a shelter in place advisory for Carbon residents and said a cloud of anhydrous ammonia about 100 feet wide is hanging around the tank.
The advisory said a road in the area is shut down but there is no immediate danger.
According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, anhydrous ammonia is a flammable, colorless, liquefied gas with a pungent odor that’s corrosive to the eyes, skin and the respiratory tract.
No other information was immediately available.
Topics Virginia
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