PLAQUEMINE, La. (AP) — Olin Corp. said Wednesday that it has “safely concluded” its response to a fire and leak that sent a huge cloud of chlorine out of a chemical plant near Baton Rouge, and nobody was hurt.
“Monitoring confirms there is no risk of onsite or offsite exposure” to chlorine, the company said in an emailed statement.
The fire broke out in a compressor used to turn chlorine from gas to liquid, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality spokesman Greg Langley said Tuesday.
Liquid chlorine poured out and immediately began turning to gas, he said.
Olin said only that it will work to identify what caused the event. It did not comment on whether a compressor caught fire.
Residents in the Plaquemine area were ordered to shelter in place Monday night, turning off air conditioners, and closing windows and doors, but got the “all clear” early Tuesday, news outlets reported.
Authorities said the fire and leak were in an Olin Chlor Alkali plant inside the larger Dow Chemical Co. complex.
Liquid chlorine leaked out and pooled on the ground, where it quickly turned into a gas, Department of Environmental Quality officials said. Chlorine’s boiling point is -29 degrees Fahrenheit -29.
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