Massive Explosions Rip Through Dow Chemical Plant Near Plaquemine

The quiet of the night near Plaquemine, Louisiana was ripped away by a massive explosion that rocked the Dow Chemical Complex near Plaquemine. The facility caught fire and multiple explosions sent plumes of flame into the skies along with thick clouds of black smoke that caused authorities to order 350 nearby homes to shelter in place. Louisiana Route 1 was also shut down by order of state and local officials.

According to The Advocate, the incident took place at the facility’s Glycol 2 Unit which works with Ethylene Oxide, a known carcinogen federal authorities said. Landon Groger, a spokesman for the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office told the outlet that as of 11 p.m. local time on Friday the fires at the facility were still being battled by emergency crews, however, he noted that no chemical leaks have been detected from the facility which is located near the Mississippi River.

WAFB-TV reported that the initial explosion was visible as far away as Addis, nearly five miles away. The outlet added that as of 5 a.m. Saturday the shelter-in-place order was lifted and Dow Chemical is conducting air monitoring and hasn’t detected any chemical readings as of this report.

Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi told WAFB, “The Dow Fire Unit is cooling down the tanks in the area where the fire occurred, and they’re still telling us that no one was injured.”

As noted by BRProud, Dow’s Glycol 2 Unit produces ethylene glycol, effectively ‘antifreeze’ in common parlance. The outlet citing the CDC described it as “a clear, colorless liquid with a thick texture like syrup. It’s usually dyed when used as antifreeze. The liquid, however, is used in a variety of products.”

The CDC added that the most common danger associated with the chemical is from ingestion. It is reportedly sweet to the taste but can be fatal if too much is consumed. shutting down the nervous system, heart, and kidneys. The CDC said the main concern from the chemical rendered aerosol or into a mist is crop contamination.

An official statement released by Dow explained,

“At approximately 9:15 p.m. central time, on Friday, July 14, there was a fire at Dow’s Louisiana Operations in Plaquemine, Louisiana. The incident occurred in Dow’s Gylcol 2 Unit. All employees are safe and accounted for.

Out of an abundance of caution, Iberville Parish declared a shelter in place ½ mile on the south side of the site. The shelter in place was lifted at 3:42 a.m. Highway LA 1 reopened at 8:45 a.m.

Crews have substantially reduced the fire and are working to fully extinguish it. Dow, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and a third-party company conducted air monitoring throughout the night and did not detect any community impact. Air monitoring is ongoing.

Dow is committed to high operational and safety practices that consistently meet or exceed regulations and applicable laws. Dow and local officials will conduct a full review to understand the cause of this incident.

Dow extends its thanks to the local and state authorities for their assistance.

Updates will continue to be posted on the Dow Louisiana Operations Facebook page.

American Ground Radio will continue to monitor this developing story.

Matthew Holloway