A gas release at the Austin Powder chemical plant has been stopped and the evacuation order for the nearby village of Zaleski is now lifted.
An unknown contaminant entered a 5,000-gallon process tank containing nitric acid at the plant early Wednesday morning. This caused a chemical reaction that created nitrogen oxide gas, which was vented to the atmosphere. The air release of nitrogen oxide gas has since been stopped. There are no injuries reported at the plant and the nitrogen oxide plume has dissipated.
Austin Powder manufactures components for industrial explosives. Ohio EPA is waiting for the tankโs temperature to cool enough to test nearby streams for PH levels. At this time, the agency says there is no reason to believe that drinking or groundwater has been impacted. Austin Powder will be conducting additional testing of groundwater in the nearby area.
The local fire department is using drones to monitor the immediate area. So far, air monitoring has not shown any positive readings for nitrogen oxide. The Zaleski Fire Department lifted the evacuation order around 4:40 p.m.
