CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — State and county officials say DuPont is planning safety checks that are expected to temporarily idle most manufacturing at its Belle chemical plant.
Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper and a spokesman for Gov. Joe Manchin confirmed DuPont's plans Saturday afternoon.
DuPont says it's bringing employees together for a "safety pause" after a series of accidents. The company says on Friday it contained a leak that released as much as 1,900 pounds of methyl chloride over as many as five days. The following day, DuPont says, less than 20 pounds of sulfuric acid were released and an employee was hospitalized for observation after being exposed to a chemical called phosgene.
