Campus Alert Archive
WVSU

Hydrogen Sulfide at the Edge of an HBCU: WVSU Shelters in Place While Two Workers Die at the Catalyst Refiners Plant Next Door

WVhazmatemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On April 22, 2026, West Virginia State University — a historically Black university in Institute, West Virginia — was placed under a mile-radius shelter-in-place after a violent chemical reaction at the adjacent Ames Goldsmith Catalyst Refiners plant released hydrogen sulfide. Two workers were killed and at least 19 others injured. The campus — directly adjacent to the plant — remained under shelter-in-place longer than any other area in the one-mile radius, with the wider zone partially lifted by Wednesday evening.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
2
Injured
19
Institution
West Virginia State University
Hbcu · WV
~3,500 studentsWVSU State Alerts
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from WCHS and Metro 911 reporting that confirmed a mile-radius shelter-in-place including WVSU was issued the morning of April 22, 2026172 chars
WVSU State Alert: Shelter in place IMMEDIATELY due to chemical emergency at Catalyst Refiners. Close all windows and doors. Turn off HVAC. Stay inside until further notice.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed wording — Metro 911 issued the one-mile-radius shelter-in-place but the specific verbatim WVSU State Alert text was not published in available reporting
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is denser than air and pools in low areas — proper shelter requires shutting off HVAC and sealing windows, hence the HVAC-shutoff instruction
The plant was undergoing decommissioning operations at the time; the violent reaction occurred between M2000A and nitric acid
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from Charleston Gazette-Mail reporting that the WVSU campus remained sheltered after other zones were lifted176 chars
WVSU State Alert: Shelter in place remains IN EFFECT for the WVSU campus. The outer one-mile radius has been partially lifted. Do not leave campus buildings. Updates to follow.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed wording — outlets confirmed WVSU campus remained sheltered after the outer zone was lifted but did not quote the verbatim update text
The geographic differentiation — partial lift of outer zone while WVSU remains sheltered — is unusual and reflects WVSU's direct adjacency to the plant
Per Metro 911, the shelter-in-place was lifted from Catalyst Refiners Inc to the Nitro/St Albans bridge first, but remained in effect from Catalyst Refiners to WVSU
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from WV MetroNews reporting confirming the shelter-in-place was fully lifted by Wednesday evening178 chars
WVSU State Alert: The shelter in place has been lifted. The campus is safe. Investigations are continuing at the Catalyst Refiners site. Normal campus operations resume tomorrow.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed wording — outlets confirmed the evening April 22 all-clear but did not quote the verbatim text
The reference to ongoing investigations is consistent with the CSB, OSHA, and WV DEP each opening separate inquiries
Normal academic operations did resume the following day per WVSU's public communications
Context

Background

West Virginia State University is a historically Black, land-grant university in Institute, West Virginia, enrolling about 3,500 students. On the morning of Wednesday, April 22, 2026, a violent chemical reaction at the adjacent Ames Goldsmith Catalyst Refiners plant at 1580 1st Avenue South — directly across from WVSU's campus — released hydrogen sulfide and other chemicals. The reaction occurred between M2000A and nitric acid during decommissioning operations; the plant was scheduled to close in June 2026. Two workers were killed, one was left in critical condition, and at least 19 other people received treatment. A one-mile-radius shelter-in-place was issued by Metro 911, encompassing WVSU and multiple Kanawha County schools. Because of the campus's direct adjacency to the plant, WVSU remained under shelter-in-place longer than any other area in the affected zone; outer portions of the mile radius were partially lifted in the afternoon while the WVSU campus remained sheltered until evening. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board announced its own investigation on April 24. The case is a stark example of HBCUs' continuing exposure to environmental-justice risks: WVSU sits within the historic 'Chemical Valley' corridor of the Kanawha River, and the violent reaction occurred during decommissioning — the closing of an industrial era that has shaped the community for generations.
Analysis

Key Findings

WVSU remained under shelter-in-place longer than any other area in the mile-radius zone — a direct consequence of the campus's adjacency to the Catalyst Refiners plant
The Kanawha River 'Chemical Valley' corridor has a long history of industrial accidents affecting WVSU — the case continues a pattern documented since the 1985 Institute leak that killed no one but injured 135
The CSB, OSHA, and WV DEP all opened simultaneous investigations within 48 hours — a tri-agency response that reflects the deaths and the scale of the chemical release
Outcome
Two workers at Catalyst Refiners died; one was in critical condition. At least 19 additional people injured. WVSU's campus was within the mile-radius shelter-in-place; the campus remained under shelter longer than other parts of the zone. The Chemical Safety Board, OSHA, and West Virginia DEP all opened investigations. No WVSU student, faculty, or staff injuries reported.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    2 Dead, Dozens Injured Following Chemical Leak In Institute (WV Public Broadcasting)
    wvpublic.org
  2. News
    Two dead after chemical incident in Institute area; investigations underway (WCHS)
    wchstv.com
  3. News
    Two workers dead, one critically injured in Kanawha County chemical incident (WV MetroNews)
    wvmetronews.com
  4. News
    Lifted: 2 dead, 1 critical, shelter-in-place mostly lifted for Nitro chemical event (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
    wvgazettemail.com
  5. News
    Chemical Safety Board announces investigation into Kanawha County chemical tragedy (WV MetroNews)
    wvmetronews.com
  6. Source
    2026 Institute, West Virginia chemical disaster (Wikipedia)
    en.wikipedia.org
Tags
hazmatshelter-in-placehbcuwest-virginiachemical-disasterhydrogen-sulfidefatalitiesenvironmental-justicekanawha-valleycsb-investigation
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion