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Chemical release sends 8 to the hospital
FOX 26 Reporter Damali Keith has the latest after a chemical release in La Porte sent eight to the hospital.
LA PORTE, Texas - A leak has been contained at a chemical plant in LaPorte and the shelter in place lifted.
The shelter in place was issued for a portion of LaPorte after gas began leaking at the Altivia Chemical Plant. According to Altivia, a pressure release device ruptured at the facility and phosgene gas began leaking.
The CDC lists the colorless gas as an irritant that can cause dry burning throat and eyes, vomiting, coughing, and difficulty breathing.
A small portion of the Southeast side of LaPorte near Fairmont Parkway and 16th Street, in a mostly industrial area, was ordered to shelter in place for about an hour and a half.
Eight people, likely Altivia employees, who were inside the facility were taken to the hospital.
"The EMS Chief said they were stable, and it was non-emergency at the time they were transferred. We were glad to be able to release that shelter in place fairly quickly. Harris County Pollution Control came out and was able to perform air quality testing for us. None of our LaPorte ISD schools were affected," explains City of LaPorte Public Information Officer Lee Woodward.
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After the Phosgene leak was reported by the company, we're told Harris County Pollution Control came out to monitor and found "no detectable amounts of hazardous chemicals in the air."
The shelter in place was lifted just before 1:30 p.m. on Monday.