Another Chemical Disaster, Same Failures: Advocates Demand Action

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2026

Contact: Jillian Welsh, Communications Manager, WV Citizen Action Group, (562) 305-5769, jillian@wvcag.org

Fatal Leak in Institute Shows Need for Stronger Chemical Safety Protections

Institute, W.Va. — A fatal chemical leak has left our community scared, confused, and asking questions. There was a lack of clear communication on what safeguards people should take during or after, and it feels like a disregard for public health. Advocates and community members across West Virginia are speaking out: 

• WV Citizen Action Group’s Executive Director, Dani Parent, stated: “A lack of transparency, clear emergency communication, and shelter-in-place guidance in the Catalyst Refiners chemical leak mirrors the failures seen in the 2020 Optima explosion in Belle. This pattern underscores why our community air monitoring is essential but only a piece of the greater picture: strong regulatory-level monitoring is crucial for measuring the cumulative impacts of incidents like this.”
  
  
• Fair Shake Environmental Legal Service’s Community Democracy Coordinator, A-Nya Badger, stated: “Our communities have experienced too many emergencies that harm their health and happiness because decisions about industrial facilities are made without communities’ input. We hear from residents that, after an industrial disaster, there are so many questions about what they should expect; how to get their questions answered and concerns addressed; and how they can protect their legal rights for the future. Unfortunately, the road to recovery and accountability is long and often incomplete. Every community deserves to be made whole after a man-made disaster, and full recovery involves not just improvements to water, air and environmental quality but also improvements to a community’s physical health and mental well-being, and the rebuilding of the local economy, community trust, and neighborhood safety. Further, communities need accountability, restitution, and policies to ensure the same thing doesn’t happen again.”
  
  
• Mom’s Clean Air Force’s West Virginia Field Organizer, Lani Wean, stated: “While there is still much we don’t know, one thing is clear: West Virginia communities deserve transparency and clear communication on emergency response instructions in moments like this, and many area residents do not feel properly supported in this regard. I am one of a disproportionately high number of Kanawha County residents with asthma or other pulmonary diseases, and every chemical disaster increases both the risk and harm we and our families and our children face. Clear, detailed confirmation of community safety in the immediate aftermath of a chemical disaster, and more robust structures to monitor air emissions and keep facility workers safe in the interim, must be a top priority. Our hearts are with all who have been impacted by this disaster, and we will do our best to keep our community informed.”
  
  
• Black Appalachian Coalition’s West Virginia Organizer, Martec Washington, stated: “I am still in awe that we continue to put the safety of our communities behind the profits of chemical plants. What happened today is an absolute tragedy, and our hearts break for the two lives that were lost. The fact that this disaster occurred—and that we are still unclear on the details while mourning the loss of life—is completely unacceptable. ​Transparency and accountability are the bare minimum the people deserve right now. I had to call my own aunt just to tell her to turn her air off and shelter in place. We need absolute clarity from our leaders on what must happen during a shelter-in-place order, and we must ensure solid contingency plans are established for the people who constantly get left behind to deal with the economic and environmental fallout of these disasters. ​Community-controlled air and water monitors are beyond a must at this point. We have seen time and time again how regulations have failed us, and how the legislature has pulled them back even further at our expense. ​To our neighbors in Kanawha County: if you need to share your story or if you need assistance navigating this crisis, the Black Appalachian Coalition is here to help. You are not alone in this.”

About WV Citizen Action Group: The West Virginia Citizen Action Group advocates and organizes for better public policy, rights of individuals, a clean environment, and a stronger democratic process. Learn more at www.wvcag.org. Questions can be directed to their Communications Coordinator, Jillian Welsh, at jillian@wvcag.org.

About Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services: Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm that believes all people and communities should have access to the tools of change, and that everyone has the right to make decisions about the air, water, and land where they live, work, and play.  Learn more at www.fairshake-els.org. Questions can be directed at their Community Democracy Program Coordinator A-Nya Badger at abadger@fairshake-els.org, or Program Manager Meagan Niebler at mniebler@fairshake-els.org. 

About Moms Clean Air Force: Moms Clean Air Force is a community of over 1.6 million moms, dads, and caregivers united against air pollution—including the urgent crisis of our changing climate—to protect our children’s health. Through a vibrant network of state-based community organizers, Moms works on national and local policy issues and supporting local communities. Learn more at momscleanairforce.org. Questions can be directed to Lani Wean at lwean@momscleanairforce.org. 

About the Black Appalachian Coalition: The Black Appalachian Coalition’s mission is to use storytelling as a strategy and a precursor to policymaking, building collective power to reclaim our communities, reshape systems, and drive transformative, cross-sector justice across Appalachia and the Ohio River Basin. To learn more about Black Appalachian Coalition, check our website: blackappalachiancoalition.org/. Reach out to the West Virginia Organizer Martec Washington Martec@blackAppalachianCoalition.org.