2 dead, 21 injured after chemical leak at West Virginia plant

Source: USA Today

Updated April 22, 2026, 4:14 p.m. ET


At least two people died and nearly two dozen people went to the hospital after a chemical leak at a West Virginia plant on April 22. The leak was reported just after 9:30 a.m. ET at Catalyst Refiners Inc., a facility used to recover silver, the Kanawha County Commission said in a news release.

Local officials told reporters at a news conference that the official cause of the leak remains under investigation by local, state and federal authorities. But preliminary information indicates that workers at the site were in the process of cleaning and shutting down at least one part of the facility, including decontaminating the area. Authorities said a chemical reaction during the cleaning process created hydrogen sulfide, and employees at the site quickly called emergency crews.

Twenty-one people were transported to a hospital by first responders or sought medical care in connection with the leak. Of those, one was listed in critical condition, the commission said. At least two people also died in connection with the incident, local officials said. Their identities were being withheld pending next of kin notification.

The facility is located in Institute, an unincorporated community along the Kanawha River. It's about 10 miles northwest of Charleston, the state capital.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/04/22/chemical-leak-west-virginia-plant-catalyst-refiners/89737605007/