A dangerous phosgene gas leak sent eight employees of the Altivia Chemical Complex in La Porte to the hospital on December 4, the Houston Chronicle reports. The workers are said to be in stable condition after exposure to the hazardous chemical.
Around noon, La Porte residents south of Fairmont Parkway to Spencer Highway and Baytown Area Boulevard and South 16th Street were also told to seek shelter in the nearest building with doors and windows closed and cooling and heating systems turned off as authorities responded to the chemical accident. The shelter-in-place was lifted about two hours later.
Phosgene Gas Release Under Investigation
According to local news outlet ABC13, the city of La Porte’s Office of Emergency Management reported no detectable amounts of hazardous products near or downwind of the Altivia facility, but the Harris County Pollution Control continues to monitor the air quality in the area.
Phosgene is a colorless gas with a suffocating odor like musty hay, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Phosgene gas was commonly used for chemical warfare during World War I and is obviously very dangerous in high-enough concentrations.
Common symptoms of exposure to phosgene gas include:
- irritation to the eyes
- dry burning throat
- Vomiting
- Cough
- foamy sputum
- breathing difficulty
- chest pain
- frostbite (when exposed to liquid form of phosgene)
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms due to the La Porte chemical leak, seek medical help immediately.
La Porte Plant Leak Latest in Long String of Texas Chemical Accidents
The Lone Star State is home to more than 1,500 facilities that handle hazardous substances every day. Virtually every one of these facilities use and produce a variety of volatile and extremely hazardous chemicals — including benzene, mercury, silica, methane, propane, butane, ethylene, propylene, butadiene, and methanol — which pose a significant health risk to workers and surrounding communities and have been linked to cancer, blood disorders, and more health problems.
In fact, Texas leads the nation in dangerous accidents involving hazardous substances. We have seen at least 79 chemical incidents — including leaks, spills, fires, and explosions — since January 2021. The most recent was in November 2023, when a chemical plant explosion in Shepherd, Texas, north of Houston, injured one worker and forced residents of San Jacinto County to shelter in place nearly all day long.
The Altivia facility, which is located at the La Porte Terminal for easy access to the shipping and rail needed to deliver its product across the globe, is reportedly the only large-scale producer of phosgene gas and its derivatives in North America, providing chemicals for the use of pharmaceuticals, agrochem, cosmetics and more applications.
Owners of industrial facilities like these must follow strict federal or state safety rules, but many continue to violate these important safety regulations in an effort to cut costs and increase production.
Injured in a Chemical Plant or Refinery Accident? Call 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here for a Free Consultation With Our Undefeated Refinery Accident Attorneys.
Our Undefeated Houston Chemical Plant Injury Lawyers continue to monitor the situation in La Porte.
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If you or a loved one were injured or affected by the Altivia chemical leak, call 1-888-603-33636 or Click Here to send us a confidential email via our “Contact Us” form.
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