Chemical spill at Ohio explosives manufacturing plant

In Ohio, a chemical leak at an explosives manufacturing plant forced the evacuation of an entire village and grounded flights within thousands of miles. The incident happened at the Austin Powder Red Diamond in Vinton County on Wednesday, June 12. A 5000-gallon tank of nitric acid started releasing a vast orange-colored plume into the air. According to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the plume was nitrogen oxide gas produced by the reaction between the nitric acid and the container. It can irritate the eyes and nose, as well as cause drowsiness and even unconsciousness. After the emergency was reported, residents of the nearby village of Zaleski were told to evacuate. Moreover, flights within more than 3,700 miles of the spill were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration as a precautionary measure. However, the plume was contained within Vinton County and had dissipated by the afternoon. In the evening, the Ohio EPA announced that the gas release had stopped and lifted the evacuation order for Zaleski. The agency is now waiting for the tank’s temperature to cool enough to start testing for possible water contamination.