West Virginia Residents Asked to Shelter after Ammonia Leak

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.