A portion of a chemical plant located west of Lake Charles exploded on the morning of Jan. 26 injuring six and forced school children to temporarily shelter in place from toxic gases. A Westlake Chemical spokesperson said chemical fumes in a storage tank ignited before 11 a.m. Smoke was visible for miles. The tank, which had a capacity of about 1M gallons, held ethylene dichloride, which is harmful to the human nervous system, liver and kidneys. A Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson said the tank was mostly empty. Air monitoring stations near the facility indicated air quality remained at safe levels after the explosion. Five of the injured workers were taken to nearby hospitals. One was treated at the scene. None of the injuries appeared life-threatening, the company spokesperson said. School shelter-in-place advisories were lifted within an hour of the explosion. (Source: NOLA.com 01/26/22) Chemical plant explosion near Lake Charles injures six workers | Environment | nola.com
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