Ohio Emergency Management Agency

06/11/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/12/2025 16:20

Ohio EPA, Ohio EMA Responding to Nitrogen Oxide Gas Release at Austin Powder in Vinton County

June 11, 2025

MCARTHUR, OH (June 11, 2025)- A gas release at the Austin Powder chemical plant has been stopped and the evacuation order for the nearby village of Zaleski is now lifted. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) was notified of a release from Austin Powder at 9:44 a.m. Wednesday. An unknown contaminant entered a 5,000-gallon process tank containing nitric acid at the plant. This caused a chemical reaction that created nitrogen oxide gas, which was vented to the atmosphere. The air release of nitrogen oxide gas has since been stopped.

There are no injuries reported at the plant and the nitrogen oxide plume has dissipated.

Ohio EPA is waiting for the tank's temperature to cool enough to test nearby streams for PH levels. At this time, there is no reason to believe that drinking or groundwater has been impacted. Austin Powder will be conducting additional testing of groundwater in the nearby area.

The Ohio EPA Office of Emergency Response is on the scene, working closely with the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, Ohio Public Safety, the Ohio Department of Health, Vinton County Health Department, the Vinton County Sheriff's Office, and local fire departments.

The local fire department is using drones to monitor the immediate area. So far, air monitoring has not shown any positive readings for nitrogen oxide.

The Zaleski Fire Department lifted the evacuation order for the nearby village of Zaleski around 4:40 p.m.

If you have questions about the gas release, please contact the Vinton County Health Department at 740.596.5233.

Nitric acid and nitrogen oxide can cause numerous health effects, including irritation of the nose, throat, and lungs, coughing, shortness of breath, tiredness, fluid buildup in the lungs (which can be delayed), and permanent lung damage from repeated high-level exposure. Exposure can also cause skin and eye irritation and burns, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and a bluish skin color. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please contact a medical professional immediately.

Ohio Emergency Management Agency published this content on June 11, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 12, 2025 at 22:20 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io