Nitro, WV Chemical Incident
Last week, two people were killed and dozens were injured due to a chemical leak in Nitro, WV. A shelter-in-place was ordered, causing West Virginia State and K-12 students in the area to be stuck indoors for hours while state responders investigated the incident and took care of the leaking hydrogen sulfide.
Residents of Kanawha County — or “Chemical Valley” — have been forced to grapple with incidents like this far too many times over the course of decades. West Virginians deserve better safeguards and quicker responses. Our hearts are with victims and their loved ones as they begin to heal from the disaster. We will continue to fight for improved environmental and public health protections against toxic chemical leaks. Industry should never take precedence over the well-being of our communities.
MARL Project
If you’re planning to attend any of the Public Service Commission hearings for NextEra’s MARL project, consider reading the following to learn more:
MARL power line cost estimates become clearer — and higher for WV ratepayers
The proposed $1.16 billion NextEra project will cross multiple states, including Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Monongalia, Preston, Mineral, and Hampshire Counties are all slated to become home to miles of the transmission line. MARL will cause rate hikes for Appalachian Power, Wheeling Power, Mon Power, and Potomac Edison residential customers. Read more about it HERE.
At right: Children play baseball in the Kanawha Valley beside an Appalachian Power power plant in 1970. For as long as many can remember, West Virginians have been accustomed to living under the dominion of the energy industry.
Charleston Gazette-Mail
In 2014, an aboveground storage tank leaked a corrosive chemical into the Elk River, poisoning the water supply of 300,000 people. The military was called in to respond to the crisis.
EPA targeting chemical safety protections, investigators post-fatal Nitro blast
Kanawha Valley history is littered with industrial chemical leaks and exposures. In fact, only one other state had more spills than West Virginia between 2008 and 2023. Learn more about studies about chemical safety from the EPA and its proposed weakening of chemical protections HERE.
Nitro facility had history of chemical incidents, slashed oversight before fatal blast
The Catalyst Refiners location in Nitro cut regulations before the chemical reaction that took two lives and injured dozens last week. The facility has a history of other chemical incidents in the past decade and a half. Read more about the facts from Mike Tony HERE.
Fields Creek, in Upper Kanawha Valley, runs black with coal sediment following spill
Not only did Kanawha County experience a chemical spill last week, but also a coal sediment spill in Winifrede Hollow. The community is facing a daunting recovery effort. Learn more about the incident HERE.
Hosting solar can be a lifeline for farmers, but overcoming local opposition is tough
For many farmers facing the uncertainty of agriculture in a growingly erratic climate, hosting solar provides an opportunity for financial relief. Communities in opposition are making the opportunity hard to come by. Learn more HERE.
Fatality-stricken mines had long safety violation histories as more MSHA cuts eyed
West Virginia continues to lead the nation in mining fatalities. Two miners lost their lives to safety violations several weeks ago, one in Raleigh County and one in Marshall County. Read more about the safety violations HERE.
Morrisey admin says it mistook data center opposition letter for data center application
An opposition letter written by Tucker United was misinterpreted as a data center application from Fundamental Data LLC, which is planning to develop a data center in Tucker County. Read more about the bizarre situation HERE.
PSC issues bond financing order for APCo, WPCo that could cover $2.6B in costs
Framing it as a benefit to ratepayers, APCo and WPCo have succeeded in their request for securitization. PSC “issued a long-term bond financing order” for American Electric Power subsidiaries to recover an array of costs. Read more about what’s next HERE.
WV House speaker profiting from dual roles greasing gas-fired data center momentum
More than a third of monetary donations collected by Roger Hanshaw’s campaign committee from the end of 2023 through the 2024 general election was contributed by political action committees for fossil fuel and electric utilities companies and interest groups, and the Stakeholders Voluntary PAC Microsoft Corp. Hanshaw also benefits from supporting data center developers as an attorney for Bowles Rice LLC. Read more about the Speaker’s conflicts of interest HERE.
More local control loss, conflict-of-interest concerns loom in WV data center fight
Shortly following the end of the legislative session, news came out that House Speaker Roger Hanshaw provides legal representation for Fundamental Data LLC through his employer Bowles Rice LLC. The case pertains to a state air quality permit for a data center planned for Tucker County. Read more about it HERE.
MARL power line cost estimates become clearer — and higher for WV ratepayers
The proposed $1.16 billion NextEra project will cross multiple states, including Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Monongalia, Preston, Mineral, and Hampshire Counties are all slated to become home to miles of the transmission line. MARL will cause rate hikes for Appalachian Power, Wheeling Power, Mon Power, and Potomac Edison residential customers. Read more about it HERE.
DEP suggests feds back off Lexington Coal CO. mine oversight amid $6M firm fine debt
Despite a long history of environmental violations and owing them millions in fines, DEP has asked the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) to back off after it threatened to take over enforcement last October. The mining company’s environmental violations have continually harmed the Coal River watershed. Read more about the situation HERE.
WVAW bills going up after PSC approves eight-figure revenue increases for company
After an approval from the state’s Public Service Commission, American Water customers using more than 3,000 gallons of water per month will see an increase on their monthly bill, including for wastewater. Learn more about it HERE.
MSHA: Mine company failures caused fatal incident at violation-beset Tucker Co. mine
After an MSHA investigation, Mettiki Coal WV LLC was liable for the fatal accident that happened in November of last year. Read more about the safety findings HERE.
Mountain State Spotlight
The latest Kanawha Valley chemical incident claims two lives and injures many more
Dozens were injured and two were killed in a chemical leak at a Nitro facility last week. The accident occurred as part of a cleaning process at the Ames Goldsmith Catalyst Refiners facility when a chemical reaction created hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas. Read more about the incident HERE.
Signs of wide-spread flooding is the cause of increased applications for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) benefits, near Lewisburg, WV, on July 28, 2016. Streams rose above its banks and washed away cars and trucks; left them severely damaged on its banks. Where crews have brought them to what was open areas. Homes have been left vacant after initial attempts to remove mud from houses. USDA Photo by Steve Ausmus.
A Northern Panhandle town is still recovering from flooding. They have some suggestions for elected officials.
Triadelphia was devastated by flooding in June of 2025. The natural disaster took nine lives and dozens of houses. Although $5 million in funding was allocated to the Flood Resiliency Fund, there’s still a lot left to do to help the community recover and prepare for the next event. Read more HERE.
Clean water was a top issue for McDowell County voters in 2024. They’re still waiting for elected officials to help.
The 2026 Regular Legislative Session ended without resolution for the thousands of West Virginians without clean water access. Government leaders let voters down once again, leaving them paying hundreds every month for water that many of them can’t safely use. Read more about it from Henry Culvyhouse HERE.
One of the biggest barriers to jobs in West Virginia persists as lawmakers fail to address public transit needs
Public transit isn’t just an environmental issue, but an element of economic justice — especially in places like West Virginia. Our communities need buses to get to work, health care, school, and other public places. This Session, no new funding was allocated for public transit. As our climate continues to get hotter, public transit could be part of a larger environmental and economic strategy. Read more HERE.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Understanding And Preventing Chemical Incidents, This West Virginia Morning
We’re still learning a lot about last week’s chemical reaction in Nitro. Chris Schulz speaks with Dr. Christopher Martin, a specialist in occupational and environmental medicine at West Virginia University (WVU), to better understand what happened. Listen HERE.
Flood Mitigation Gets Boost From Federal Funds
Nearly a dozen structures will be torn down in an effort to permanently reduce the risk of flood damage in Milton. The project is being funded by FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance Program. Listen HERE.
Morrisey Breaks Ground On New Type Of Power Plant
On Wednesday of last week, a combined cycle power plant broke ground in Harrison County. The power plant, the Wolf Summit Energy Project, will utilize steam turbines alongside gas turbines to increase energy production efficiency. To learn more, listen HERE.
W.Va. Fares Well In Air Quality Study By Lung Association
Every county in West Virginia passed the test according to an air quality survey by the American Lung Association. The organization’s State of Air report awarded the Charleston-Huntington Metro area top marks for air quality. Listen HERE.
West Virginia Watch
Interior’s Burgum accused of ‘kneecapping’ wind and solar power in favor of oil, gas
The Trump Administration has repeatedly backed fossil fuels throughout the present term. During a recent hearing, Interior Secretary Burgum was questioned about the decision to subsidize fossil fuels while discouraging renewables. Read more about it HERE.
Forest Service plan to close research stations stokes fear as wildfire season approaches
Despite a worsening in forest fire severity over the past decade, the US Forest Service will close 57 of its 77 research stations, merging into one post in Colorado. It’s estimated that 5,000 employees will have to move to new outposts. Read more HERE.
WV lawmakers did little to nothing for environmental protections during legislative session
Although he started out hopeful, WVEC President Quenton King was disappointed by another fruitless legislative session. He writes about the frustrating pattern HERE.
West Virginia needs a data center moratorium to safeguard our future
Paula Kauffman writes about the need to stop further data center development until community protection is prioritized. Read her commentary HERE.
‘Empty promises:’ Residents lament lack of protections as data center developments unfold across WV
We’re all disappointed by the lack of data center development safeguards enacted by the Legislature this year. After repeated calls for local control and other oversight, our state government didn’t do much to protect our communities. Read more HERE.
