Dupont plant leak kills four workers

Four workers were killed and one was injured Saturday during a hazardous chemical leak at a suburban Houston industrial plant, DuPont officials said.

The chemical, methyl mercaptan, began leaking around 4 a.m. in a unit at the DuPont plant in La Porte, about 20 miles east of Houston. Plant officials said the release was contained by 6 a.m.

Several employees had responded to the leak when they were exposed to the chemical, plant manager Randall Clements said in a statement.

“There are no words to fully express the loss we feel or the concern and sympathy we extend to the families of the employees and their co-workers,” Clements said. “We are in close touch with them and providing them every measure of support and assistance at this time.”

A fifth worker was hospitalized and being held for observation. That worker’s condition was not immediately known, and none of the victims was immediately identified by Dupont.

But a relative said brothers Robert Tisnado, 39, and Gibby Tisnado, 48, died in the accident.

Randall Clements, plant manager, described the events as tragic. He didn’t give any details about the fallen workers, except to say that they ranged from an employee who had been with the company 40 years to one who was just hired about eight months ago.

The operators were well trained with both book work and hands-on instruction, Clements said.

Methyl mercaptan was used at the plant to create crop-protection products such as insecticides and fungicides, according to DuPont. The cause of the leak was not immediately known.

Clements said DuPont would be cooperating with local, state and federal officials investigating the leak.

“As part of that investigation, we are conducting our own top-to-bottom review of this incident and we will share what we learn with the relevant authorities,” he said.

Jeff Suggs, emergency management coordinator for La Porte, said the chemical release was not toxic for those living nearby, but that it caused a smell that’s similar to rotten eggs.

“It’s a nuisance smell in the area. It’s a smell that’s traveled quite far,” Suggs said.

Methyl mercaptan is also commonly used to odorize natural gas — which has no odor — for safety purposes.

The La Porte plant has 320 DuPont employees. Four other companies are also tenants at the complex.

Antonio Areola, 50, who works at the complex for another company, said the news was extremely sad. Plant workers are haunted by the potential dangers of the job, he said.

“There’s danger in the plants, you can always feel it,” he said in Spanish.