(Photo via WAFB Baton Rouge)
Jun 13, 2013
News outlets are reporting a "major blast" and "hydrocarbon fire" at a chemical plant in Geismar, Louisiana with reports of injuries and possible fatalities.
The William Olefins plant produces approximately 1.3 billion pounds of ethylene and 90 million pounds of polymer grade propylene, according to the Williams website. These chemicals are the basic building blocks in the petrochemical process used to make plastics.
The blast was reported at approximately 8:30am local time. According to reports, a hazardous materials team is on the scene preparing to to decontaminate the area.
A neighboring plant warned local news outlet WAFB in Baton Rouge that the major exposure following the explosion is "Butadiene spheres," which could potentially trigger another explosion. They say that Williams Olefine has a hydrocarbon fire and the concern is that another explosion could occur and the fire is not under control.
Tweets about "louisiana blast"
WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, Sports
The blast comes two months after a massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas devastated the surrounding area and, because of lax zoning laws and regulatory enforcement, caused plums of toxic clouds to spread throughout the community.
_____________________
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
News outlets are reporting a "major blast" and "hydrocarbon fire" at a chemical plant in Geismar, Louisiana with reports of injuries and possible fatalities.
The William Olefins plant produces approximately 1.3 billion pounds of ethylene and 90 million pounds of polymer grade propylene, according to the Williams website. These chemicals are the basic building blocks in the petrochemical process used to make plastics.
The blast was reported at approximately 8:30am local time. According to reports, a hazardous materials team is on the scene preparing to to decontaminate the area.
A neighboring plant warned local news outlet WAFB in Baton Rouge that the major exposure following the explosion is "Butadiene spheres," which could potentially trigger another explosion. They say that Williams Olefine has a hydrocarbon fire and the concern is that another explosion could occur and the fire is not under control.
Tweets about "louisiana blast"
WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, Sports
The blast comes two months after a massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas devastated the surrounding area and, because of lax zoning laws and regulatory enforcement, caused plums of toxic clouds to spread throughout the community.
_____________________
News outlets are reporting a "major blast" and "hydrocarbon fire" at a chemical plant in Geismar, Louisiana with reports of injuries and possible fatalities.
The William Olefins plant produces approximately 1.3 billion pounds of ethylene and 90 million pounds of polymer grade propylene, according to the Williams website. These chemicals are the basic building blocks in the petrochemical process used to make plastics.
The blast was reported at approximately 8:30am local time. According to reports, a hazardous materials team is on the scene preparing to to decontaminate the area.
A neighboring plant warned local news outlet WAFB in Baton Rouge that the major exposure following the explosion is "Butadiene spheres," which could potentially trigger another explosion. They say that Williams Olefine has a hydrocarbon fire and the concern is that another explosion could occur and the fire is not under control.
Tweets about "louisiana blast"
WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, Sports
The blast comes two months after a massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas devastated the surrounding area and, because of lax zoning laws and regulatory enforcement, caused plums of toxic clouds to spread throughout the community.
_____________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.