A catastrophic chemical leak at a LyondellBasell plant near La Porte, Texas, tragically killed two people Tuesday night and sent dozens of others to area hospitals.
100,000 lbs. of Acetic Acid Leaked at LyondellBasell Facility
The latest industrial crisis to hit the La Porte area began shortly after 7:35 p.m. at the LyondellBasell facility located at 1515 Miller Cut-Off Road. According to media reports, the leak involved 100,000 lbs. of acetic acid.
“The leak has been isolated, and air monitoring at the facility perimeter indicates no offsite impact. There is no shelter in place or other protective actions being recommended at this time,” the La Porte Office of Emergency Management said in a tweet.
Acetic acid is a process solvent used to produce purified terephthalic acid (PTA), a key intermediate for a range of applications, including polyester esters, fibers, containers, film, and tapes. The chemical can cause severe burns should it come in contact with the skin and is extremely dangerous if inhaled or swallowed.
30 Workers Hospitalized with Burns, Respiratory Symptoms, Other Injuries
Two unidentified workers were tragically killed in connection with the leak. Although LyondellBasell has confirmed that the deceased were contractors, the name of their employer has not been released.
Thirty other workers were rushed to area hospitals, including one person who suffered burns and another who was experiencing respiratory problems. So far, it’s not known how the injured and hospitalized workers might be faring.
All other employees and contractors at the La Porte facility had been accounted for as of 10:00 p.m. last night, according to a statement from LyondellBasell.
Multiple Federal Agencies to Investigate Fatal La Porte Chemical Leak
Harris County Pollution Control continues to monitor the air in La Port and hasn’t seen any indication of outside impacts.
“There is no shelter in place or other protective actions being recommended for the La Porte community at this time,” according to a statement from La Porte EMS Tuesday.
So far, it’s not known what caused the deadly chemical leak at the LyondellBasell plant in La Porte. The U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board have been called in to investigate. Harris County Constable Precinct 8 will serve as the lead jurisdiction, with assistance from the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office.
LyondellBasell Leak is La Port’s 2nd Major Chemical Incident in a Week
Yesterday’s fatal incident at the LyondellBasell plant marked the second time in a week that a chemical leak has occurred at an industrial facility in La Porte, located just 28 miles from Houston.
Last Wednesday morning, residents living near a Dow Chemical facility located at 13300 Bay Area Blvd. were ordered to shelter in place after a tank wagon over-pressurized, causing a release of hydroxyethyl acrylate from the tank vent. A voluntary evacuation order was later issued for people living within .5 miles of the plant.
Fortunately, the Dow Chemical incident ended without injury or loss of life.
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