Evacuation order lifted in Martinsburg after chloride threat
MARTINSBURG, W. Va. - Martinsburg residents who were evacuated from their homes on Monday were allowed to return after officials deemed the area safe.
The residents were forced to leave their homes when a mixture of two chemicals created a thick chlorine gas that permeated the downtown area of the West Virginia town.
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Officials are asking residents to ventilate their homes if they return and encounter unknown odors.
Berkeley County’s Public Safety officials say a tanker offloading at a sewage-treatment plant accidentally mixed Ferric Chloride and one other chemical.
READ MORE: Chemical spill scare forces dozens to evacuate in Martinsburg, W.Va.
Berkeley County spokesperson Chad Shifflett tells FOX 5 tanker was offloading into another tanker, which contained a different chemical inside. Shifflett said these are the chemicals used to refine and clean water. He also described the chlorine gas as strong enough to cause a burning sensation in the eyes. Some with respiratory issues had trouble breathing.
Residents within a half mile of the plant were evacuated.