Formaldehyde leak reported at DuPont Belle

The Charleston Gazette
Formaldehyde leak reported at DuPont Belle

BELLE -- A formaldehyde leak was reported at DuPont’s Belle plant Wednesday afternoon, according to a spokeswoman with the state Department of Environmental Protection.

According to Kelley Gillenwater, spokeswoman for DEP, the leak occurred at about 4:40 p.m., when DuPont employees turned on a piece of equipment that had been shut down for maintenance.

The piece of equipment malfunctioned, causing the formaldehyde to vaporize as it was released at a pump, Gillenwater said.

DuPont workers used a water spray to contain the leak, according to Gillenwater. About 10 pounds of the chemical was released, she said.

DEP officials sent a team to monitor the area around the plant, Gillenwater said.

Robin Ollis Stemple, spokeswoman for DuPont, said in an email that no one was injured or exposed to the chemical. Plant employees briefly sheltered in place as a precaution, she said.

The unit was quickly shut down allowing only a small amount of material to be diverted to the scrubber, according to Stemple.

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