Chlorine leak sends four workers to hospital

PLAQUEMINE — Four Georgia Gulf contract employees underwent hospital treatment Tuesday night after being exposed to chlorine at the company’s plant in Plaquemine, a spokesman said Wednesday.

Alan Chapple, spokesman for Georgia Gulf, said the four were working near a railcar they didn’t know was leaking chlorine around 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Chapple said the individuals were released from the hospital sometime overnight. The four returned to work on Wednesday, he said.

Chapple said the cause of the leak is under investigation.

Maj. Johnny Blanchard of the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday night the leak did not escape the plant’s grounds on La. 405 and did not threaten the public.

Roads near the plant remained open, Blanchard said.

Comments

1) Comment by rudycaparros - 06/12/2012

WARNING: FIRST RESPONDERS’ use of THE CHLORINE INSTITUTE “C” KIT may cause the catastrophic failure of a chlorine tank car, instantly creating a toxic gas plume with a distance of not less than seven miles. The first mile will have chlorine concentrations of 1,000 ppm, causing death after one or two breaths with no opportunity for escape. To learn more, see PETITION C KIT, click on “First Responder Warnings.”

2) Comment by rudycaparros - 06/12/2012

TOXIC TRAIN SAFETY - A First Responders Petition caused The Chlorine Institute to conduct a five-month study comparing the safety of secondary containment to the chlorine “C”-Kit for chlorine tank cars. The study proved secondary containment to be, by far, the safest technology for containing and preventing releases of chlorine gas. To see secondary containment - search “CHLORTANKER.”

3) Comment by rudycaparros - 06/12/2012

HazMat Experts and Firefighters petition Dow Chemical and Union Pacific for safe rail tank cars transporting gas chlorine. Secondary containment is a necessary improvement that must be implemented. See--PETITION C KIT for First Responders Comments.