BELLE, WV (LOOTPRESS) — The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has released a new safety video detailing the findings of its investigation into the deadly explosion that occurred on December 8, 2020, at the Optima Belle chemical facility in Belle, West Virginia.
Titled “Outsourcing Responsibility: Explosion at Optima Belle,” the video features animations of the explosion, expert commentary, and a breakdown of the key factors that led to the fatal incident, which resulted in one death, multiple injuries, and more than $33 million in property damage.
Optima Belle, a toll manufacturer, was processing a reactive chemical called CDB-56 on behalf of Clearon Corporation when the explosion occurred. It was the first time either company used a rotary double cone dryer to dehydrate the compound. According to the CSB, neither company performed adequate safety testing or hazard assessments before using the equipment. As a result, they were unaware that CDB-56 could decompose dangerously at temperatures below the dryer’s limits.
Around 10 p.m. on the day of the incident, pressure rapidly built inside the dryer, causing it to explode. The blast released toxic chlorine gas, scattered debris over a half-mile radius, ignited a methanol pipe, and prompted local authorities to issue a four-hour shelter-in-place order for residents within two miles.
The CSB’s final report, released in July 2023, identified five key failures contributing to the explosion: poor process knowledge management, lack of thermal hazard assessment, improper equipment use, risks associated with toll manufacturing, and gaps in regulatory oversight for reactive chemicals.
A major focus of the CSB’s findings is the lack of federal regulations specifically covering reactive hazards. Despite the dangerous properties of CDB-56 and similar compounds, they are not currently regulated under OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) standard or the EPA’s Risk Management Program (RMP) rule.
“The time is now for those agencies to act,” said CSB Board Member Sylvia Johnson in the video. “Our investigation shows how regulatory gaps leave workers and communities vulnerable to preventable disasters.”
The CSB has formally recommended that OSHA and the EPA amend their safety rules to include more robust coverage of reactive chemicals, calling the explosion at Optima Belle a tragic example of how overlooked hazards can have catastrophic consequences.
As an independent federal agency, the CSB does not issue fines or citations. Instead, it conducts investigations and provides safety recommendations to industry stakeholders and regulatory agencies to prevent future incidents.
