Chemical plant leak kills 2 in Texas; ‘all clear’ given
LA PORTE, Texas – Two people are dead and 30 were hospitalized after a chemical leak at a Houston-area plant, officials said.
LyondellBasell said that about 100,000 pounds of a mixture that primarily included acetic acid were released in the leak that started Tuesday evening at its La Porte Complex near the city of La Porte. The company said that the “all clear” was given early Wednesday, and that the leak had been isolated and contained.
The company said air monitoring hasn’t shown “actionable levels.”
Two contractors were killed and 30 workers were taken to local hospitals for evaluation and treatment, the company said. Of those, it said 27 had been released as of Wednesday afternoon. The names of the contractors who died were not immediately released.
The cause was under investigation, the company said, adding it was cooperating with authorities.
Harris County Pollution Control spokesperson Dimetra Hamilton told the Houston Chronicle that a cap burst on a pressurized line of acetic acid.
The chemicals involved in the leak can severely burn skin and are toxic if inhaled, Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen said.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued a statement on Twitter saying that she was “heartbroken” to learn of the deaths.
According to LyondellBasell, its La Porte Complex, located on about 550 acres on the shore of the Houston Ship Channel, has over 600 employees and contractors.