US EditionToxic gas releases at Ohio, Tennessee explosives plants under investigation
VINTON COUNTY, OHIO, JUN 25 – Federal investigators probe two nitric acid gas leaks at Austin Powder plants that caused evacuations and involved a 5,000-gallon tank, officials said.
- A chemical leak at Austin Powder's Red Diamond Plant near McArthur, Ohio, occurred on June 11, 2025, prompting evacuations within a three-mile radius.
- The leak was caused by an unexpected chemical process occurring in a large tank holding nitric acid, similar to an incident triggered by a malfunction during the startup phase at the U.S. Nitrogen plant in Greene County, Tennessee, in November 2024.
- Both incidents produced large brown nitrogen oxide plumes visible from miles away, led to temporary flight restrictions, and caused the immediate shutdown of the Ohio plant with no injuries reported.
- CSB Chairperson Steve Owens expressed concern over two recent nitric acid-related incidents at Austin Powder sites within a seven-month period, noting that the company is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigations.
- The investigations by the independent U.S. Chemical Safety Board aim to issue safety recommendations and guidance to prevent future incidents, highlighting the potential catastrophic risk of industrial chemical releases.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Federal Agency Investigating Nitrogen Oxide Gas Release Incidents
A federal agency opened an investigation Tuesday into the release of toxic nitrogen oxide gas earlier this month at the Austin Powder Company's Red Diamond facility in Ohio, and into another incident in November 2024 at the company's US Nitrogen…
Toxic gas releases at Ohio, Tennessee explosives plants under investigation
VINTON COUNTY, Ohio (WOWK/NEXSTAR) – The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has launched an investigation into the release of toxic gas at Austin Powder Company facilities in Ohio and Tennessee. The company manufactures explosives. The first incident happened Nov. 24, 2024 at the Austin-owned U.S. Nitrogen facility in the Midway community of Greene County, Tennessee, according to the CSB. Austin Powder released a statement…
Federal safety board probing Nov. 2024 nitric acid release at U.S. Nitrogen in Greene Co.
MIDWAY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A formal investigation has officially been launched months after the U.S. Nitrogen plant in Greene County experienced a malfunction upon startup and released plumes of nitric acid into the sky. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), which is "an independent federal agency responsible for investigating industrial chemical incidents that result—or could result—in catastrophic releases of hazardous sub…
U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigates chemical release at Austin Powder Company plant
Video of Previous Coverage VINTON COUNTY, Ohio (WOWK) -- The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has launched an investigation into the release of toxic nitric acid and nitrogen oxide gas at the Austin Powder Company’s Red Diamond facility. The incident happened on June 11 at the commercial explosives manufacturing plant near McArthur in Vinton County, Ohio. The CSB is sending an investigator to the site to begin fact-findi…
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