LA PORTE, Texas (AP) — An evacuation order has been lifted in an industrial area of a Houston-area city following a chemical release earlier in the week.Dow Chemical said Thursday there’s “no longer a risk of community impact” in areas surrounding its chemical plant in La Porte, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Houston.A tank truck trailer over-pressurized on Wednesday, causing the chemical hydroxyethyl acrylate to escape through a safety valve, officials have said. A shelter-in-place order was issued shortly afterward amid air quality concerns, but that order was lifted after monitoring found no issues.The evacuation order had remained in place within a half-mile (0.8-kilometer) radius of the plant, but that was lifted by midday Thursday. Dow Chemical said late Thursday that the tank was isolated and the site was stable.
Glad it doesn't sound like anyone was hurt.
It hasn't been a good week in La Porte. Lyondell Basell in La Porte just had a chemical leak that killed 2 people. Even if no one is immediately, directly hurt in chemical leaks around Houston, greater Houston area should be worried about the long-term risks of the cumulative pollution, not just for cancers, but for things like asthma, endocrine disorders, etc.
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