Hydrochloric Acid Spills at Carbide Plant; No Injuries Reported

Hydrochloric acid leaked Monday night from a Union Carbide Corp. plant near where 60,000 persons had gathered for an outdoor concert, but the spill was contained quickly and no injuries were reported, authorities said.

Emergency whistles blared at the giant plant as the company’s fire crews worked on the spill, and a white cloud rose over the facility, which was the site of a toxic leak on Aug. 13.

No residents were evacuated and no injuries were reported, said Glen Smith, spokesman for Kanawha County Emergency Services.

The spill occurred about 8:30 p.m. in a section of the plant that is located on an island in the Kanawha River. About a mile and a half upstream, more than 60,000 persons had gathered for the city’s annual river festival to hear rock ‘n’ roll singer Chubby Checker.

Police Close Bridge

As a precaution, police closed the Patrick Street Bridge, which connects Charleston and South Charleston and runs adjacent to the huge Kanawha County plant.

The spill was caused by a leaking gasket on the plant’s silicon unit, Carbide spokesman Mike Lipscomb said. He said he did not know how much of the acid had leaked.

Lipscomb said the leak was 35% hydrogen chloride and 65% water, and he said the cloud was steam resulting from water poured on hot equipment by the emergency crews.

Ron Engle, chief chemist with the state Air Pollution Control Commission, said the chemical that spilled was the same as hydrochloric acid, a strong corrosive.

“If you were in it, it would cause burning of the eyes, the skin, the respiratory system,” Engle said.

Firm Notified Police

South Charleston police Sgt. V.K. West said Carbide officials called her about 8:30 p.m. to notify her of the leak. She said she was not told what leaked.

City firefighters were sent to the scene as a precaution, she said.

Union Carbide officials “called here and reported it was all under control,” said S.C. Nichols of the Kanawha Valley Emergency Services office. “They said it did not contain anything dangerous.”

The huge Kanahwa County plant was the site of a toxic leak Aug. 13. It is located five miles from Union Carbide’s Institute plant, where a spill of aldicarb oxime and methylene chloride occurred Aug. 11 and sent 135 persons to the hospital. The company was criticized after the Institute spill for waiting 20 minutes before notifying emergency officials.