Chemtura plant leak
Posted Sep 28, 2010 03:42:33 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Ministry of the Environment has been called in after the release of a product from the Chemtura plant in Elmira.
Woolwich Township made the call after the product BLE 25 was released just after 7:30 last night.
It’s used as an antioxidant and antiflex cracking agent and is used in the manufacture of rubber goods.
It can result in skin, eye and respiratory irritation and appears as tiny, tar-like specks.
The township says most of the release was confined to the plant, but some did make it into the neighbourhood.
The fire department responded and recommended the Community Alerting Network be activated, which it was, just before ten last night to update residents on the situation.
The township says it is not expected the amount released will cause any harm to the public, still, it recommends residents take steps to avoid coming in contact with the product, which could be on vehicles, buildings and lawns.
In the meantime, the township plans follow up discussions with the ministry as well as Chemtura to see what further actions need to be taken.
This plant has a controversial history in the town.
Prior to Chemtura, it was Crompton and prior to that it was Uniroyal.
In 1989, a leak from the Uniroyal plant contaminated the town’s water supply and in 2004, an explosion at Crompton, which resulted in a huge black plume above the town triggered an emergency alert.
