Authorities in Kershaw County, SC were called to a hazardous materials spill at the Weylchem U.S. Inc. chemical plant on Wednesday evening. According to officials, a tank containing nitric acid was found to be leaking and had a plume of smoke coming from the tank.
Authorities closed a 10-mile stretch of I-20 for more than 5 hours. Nearby residents were evacuated. No injuries were reported. The interstate was reopened after it was determined the air surrounding the site was clear and posed no threat to the public. The cause of the leak is under investigation.
WeylChem’s plant has a history of environmental violations. The company was fined $500,000 in 2013 following multiple pollution violations. Weylchem was also fined almost $51,000 between 2013-2018 for failing to properly label hazardous waste containers and transferring hazardous waste out of leaking containers.
UPDATE: Chemical spill causes I-20 gridlock, detour for hours
