The Leak in the Union Carbide Chemical Plant

The Union Carbide Chemical Plant in Institute, West Virginia leaked 500 gallons of gas on August 11, 1985. A valve failure had allowed steam to collect in a metal jacket that held a chemical storage tank in place. 200 residents received medical treatment for respiratory irritation and vomiting. The plant was the only one of its kind in America with an extremely toxic substance called Methol isocyanate (MIC), which killed 75,000 people during World War I.