"Chlorine Plant Fire Has Residents Sheltering After Hurricane"

"LAKE CHARLES, La. — A fire at a Louisiana chlorine plant erupted with thick, billowing smoke Thursday after Hurricane Laura plowed through part of the country’s petrochemical corridor with storm surges and fierce wind, forcing residents around the plant to shelter in their homes.

The damage came three years to the month after the record rains of Hurricane Harvey inundated Houston’s refineries, storage tanks and chemical plants, unleashing dozens of toxic spills into surrounding communities’ air, land and water. State and federal aircraft were heading into the air over the battered Louisiana coast Thursday, looking for signs of any other industrial damage or releases from Laura.

In the Lake Charles area, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality workers with hand-held monitors did not immediately detect chlorine releases from the fire at the BioLab plant, agency spokesman Greg Langley said. The plant makes swimming pool chemicals."

Ellen Knickmeyer, Gerald Herbert and Janet McConnaughey report for the Associated Press August 27, 2020.

SEE ALSO:

"Hurricane Laura Slams Louisiana, Kills Six, But Less Damage Than Forecast" (Reuters)

"Hurricane Laura: 6 Dead, Residents Describe Devastation in Louisiana; Damage Reported in Texas, Arkansas" (Weather Channel)

"Hurricane Laura Damage: Photos Show Destruction Left By Category 4 Storm In Louisiana" (Lafayette Advertiser)

"'Nothing Like This': How Hurricane Laura's Devastation Has Stunned Lake Charles Residents" (Nola.com)

"Laura Hits Petrochemical Region, and a Factory Goes Up in Flames" (New York Times)