A new report by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shows that 10,000 pounds of chlorine were released during Tuesday’s incident at an industrial plant in Freeport, Texas.
The Air Emission Event report data says the release lasted for approximately 48 minutes from 8:15 a.m. until 9:03 a.m.
The chemical leak prompted a shelter-in-place order for the cities of Clute and Lake Jackson, as a precaution, according to Brazosport CAER. The order has since been lifted.
Tuesday afternoon, the International Union of Operating Engineers' business manager, Charlie Singletary, confirmed to KPRC 2’s Jaewon Jung that four workers were taken to a nearby hospital after being exposed to the chlorine. Three of the four have been released, while the fourth is still being treated.
The worker in the hospital is a man in his 60’s who has been working at Plant B since 1990, according to Singletary.
“We need to have the right amount of people in these jobs to maintain the plants,” Singletary said. “We need to have safety factors, make sure everybody’s following their procedures, and then we have to make sure the people are trained.”
Chlorine inhalations at chemical plants have been deadly in the past, according to Singletary.
Lake Jackson Police Department confirmed there was an active level 3 chlorine release from Dow Chemical.
Level 3 means the gas is outside of the confines of the facility. According to Brazosport CAER, a chemical leak at an industrial plant in Freeport, Texas, 62 miles south of Houston, had prompted a shelter-in-place order. That order has been lifted.
CAER sirens begin blaring around 9 a.m. Tuesday, after an active chlorine gas release at Olin unit in Plant B, officials said.
Lake Jackson Police Department has been advised of the active level 3 chlorine release from Dow Chemical. Level 3 means the gas is outside of the confines of the facility.
Employees at the facility are following safety protocols while a team is working to address the situation, according to reports.
Statement from Olin Corporation: The chlorine release in Olin’s Freeport, Texas, Plant B has been stopped. The precautionary community shelter in place has been lifted in all areas. Site Emergency Response was immediately engaged, and the leak was stopped. Employees at the facility took immediate safety precautions while a team began working to address the situation. All personnel have been accounted for, and those who were potentially exposed are being evaluated by medical personnel. We are conducting a thorough analysis to identify the cause of the release. Olin is appreciative of the rapid response and support of all site and local emergency response teams during this incident. The safety of our employees, the community, and our environment is always our top priority.
