At least 4 workers exposed during chlorine release at Brazoria County chemical plant, officials say

BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- At least four workers were exposed Tuesday morning during a chlorine release at a chemical plant in Freeport, according to the vice president of Operating Engineers Local 564 Charlie Singletary.

The release had sparked a shelter-in-place order, which was later lifted after the leak was stopped.

Damond Peoples lives near the plant. He described what friends and family were seeing.

"It looked like a fluorescent yellow cloud," Peoples explained. "It was definitely different than any other cloud in the sky."

At about 9 a.m., Brazosport CAER alerted to an active chlorine gas release at Olin's Plant B, located at 307 County Road 624 in Freeport.

"It gets in your lung," Singletary explained. "It almost drowns you. It gets to the point where you're not going to be able to breathe."

Brazosport ISD had students on all campuses shelter in place, and officials issued shelter-in-place orders for Clute and Lake Jackson as a precaution. Those orders were all lifted by about 10:40 a.m.

Brazosport CAER said the leak occurred at 9:01 a.m. Neighbors told ABC13 they didn't receive notification until around 9:30 a.m.

"I feel like it should be coming from somebody immediately," Peoples said. "They should have some type of, I don't know. Us being in a plant area, I feel like they should have more sound alarms."

Olin officials issued a statement saying that all personnel have been accounted for, and those who were potentially exposed are being evaluated by medical personnel. At least one of the four workers exposed remains in the hospital.

They are working to determine the cause of the release. ABC13 has asked county and company officials about the response, but so far we haven't heard back.

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