Chlorine leak at Texas plant: Residents told to stay indoors

Deadly chemical spill in Texas industrial park sends four workers to hospital, orders thousands to shelter indoors, reports Daily Mail.

Photo: Lisa McCown | Dreamstime.com

Sirens blared at Olin Plant B at 9:00 a.m. local time in Freeport after a dangerous gas leak occurred at the facility.

Photos from the scene show yellow clouds of gas enveloping equipment.

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Four workers were reportedly injured, one of whom remains in hospital. He is conscious and expected to make a full recovery. The union says the man has worked at the plant since 1990.

Lake Jackson police described the incident as a Level 3 active chlorine leak, meaning the gas escaped beyond the plant's boundaries.

Inhaling chlorine, even in small amounts, can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and lead to more serious breathing problems. At high concentrations, chlorine can cause pulmonary edema, which is fatal.

Freeport is a city in Brazoria County with a population of over 10. Local officials have issued orders for residents to stay indoors. The same applies to schools and neighboring communities.

Olin confirmed that local officials issued shelter-in-place orders for the towns of Clute and Lake Jackson as a precaution. The leak was contained at 9:46 a.m., but shelter-in-place orders remain in effect.

Local resident Michael Kelly said: "It's just part of life here - explosions and gas emissions. The chemical plants take precautions but unfortunately it does happen."

The Brazosport School District, located 16 miles from Olin Plant B, responded quickly to the alarm and ordered all school buildings to be locked.

“We will not send students home until local authorities signal that the threat is lifted,” the district said in a statement on Facebook. “We will provide updates as we receive additional information.”

The Freeport Office of Emergency Management said it was closely monitoring the situation: "There is no immediate threat to surrounding areas at this time."

Residents of neighboring villages report burning sensation in the eyes.

"The smell is very strong all over Clutha and Lake Jackson. It stings your eyes," one local wrote on X.

"We advise residents to avoid the area until further notice."

Olin Plant B in Freeport is an important part of the Dow Texas Operations complex, a major chemical manufacturing facility. The facility is one of the leading producers of chlorine, caustic soda, industrial bleach, hydrochloric acid, potassium hydroxide, hydrogen, and related products in North America.

These chemicals are important components in the production of plastics, paper products, soaps and detergents. They play a key role in the treatment of drinking water and wastewater at the municipal level.

The chlorine leak came just months after another incident at a Texas refinery that killed one person. In October 2024, a hydrogen sulfide leak occurred at the Pemex Deer Park plant, prompting the cities of Pasadena and Deer Park to issue shelter-in-place orders.

Local residents were ordered to stay indoors, close windows and doors, and not turn on air conditioners until receiving a signal that the threat was lifted. Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent odor. It is extremely flammable and extremely toxic.

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The Pemex refinery produces gasoline, aviation fuel and marine fuel. Its capacity is 50 thousand cubic meters per day.

A month before this incident, evacuation orders were issued after a pipeline caught fire in the city of La Porte. Energy Transfer, the company that owns the pipeline, said it had encountered a blocked valve in the pipe, which it believed could have caused the fire.

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