Local and state officials responded to a Wednesday gas release at a Vinton County company that evacuated a nearby village.
At about 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 11, the Vinton County Emergency Management Agency was notified of a release from the Austin Powder Red Diamond plant near McArthur in southern Ohio. State officials were notified within about 15 minutes.
According to officials, an unknown contaminant entered a 5,000-gallon process tank with nitric acid at the plant, triggering a chemical reaction that produced nitrogen oxide gas. The gas was released into the atmosphere, and photos from the nearby area showed orange plumes of smoke rising from the facility.
“We’re in high pressure today, so that means there’s not really a lot of wind to make that plume go really too far away from the plant itself,” the Athens Independent quoted Megan Kiebler, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Charleston, as saying.
No injuries were reported at the plant. However, the Zaleski Fire Department ordered an evacuation for three miles around the plant; it remained in effect until the department lifted it at about 4:40 p.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration also banned most flights from more than 3,700 square miles of airspace following the release.
The release of nitrogen oxide gas was stopped, and the plume had dissipated by Wednesday evening. Ohio Environmental Protection Agency officials said the agency was waiting for the tank’s temperature to cool so they could test the pH levels in nearby streams.
“At this time, there is no reason to believe that drinking or groundwater has been impacted,” the Ohio EPA said in a release. “Austin Powder will be conducting additional testing of groundwater in the nearby area.”
In a release, the Ohio EPA said, “Nitric acid and nitrogen oxide can cause numerous health effects, including irritation of the nose, throat, and lungs, coughing, shortness of breath, tiredness, fluid buildup in the lungs (which can be delayed), and permanent lung damage from repeated high-level exposure.”
“Exposure can also cause skin and eye irritation and burns, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and a bluish skin color,” the agency added. “If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please contact a medical professional immediately.”
In a post to X, U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said he was “closely monitoring the situation in McArthur and my office is in contact with state and federal authorities assessing the situation.”
“We extend our deepest thanks to all local, state, and federal partners who responded swiftly and worked tirelessly to support our mission of emergency response and recovery,” the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office said in a post to Facebook. “The collaboration demonstrated today was a testament to our region’s strength and preparedness.”
Austin Powder, which describes itself on its website as “the oldest manufacturing enterprise in the State of Ohio and one of the oldest manufacturers of explosives in the world,” moved its manufacturing operation to McArthur in 1972, the Columbus Dispatch reported. WCMH-TV reported that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the plant for a “serious” violation in June 2024.
“On or about June 5, 2024, periodic inspections of the energy control procedures for equipment, such as but not limited to the bucket elevator at the mixing plant, was not performed at least annually to ensure the procedures and requirements of the standard were being followed when employees were required to perform service and maintenance activities,” the station quoted OSHA as saying.
At least 10 workers were injured in a 2009 blast at the plant, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Two people with critical injuries were transported via helicopter, and a woman died from severe burns months after the blast, the publication reported.
