Leak At Atofina Plant Is Contained
Crews Called Back To Scene Of Tragic Incident
Crews were called to handle a hydrogen leak Tuesday night at the Atofina Chemicals plant in Riverview.
Fire trucks, ambulances and police responded to the plant at shortly after 8 p.m.
Firefighters said that workers realized a truck inside the Atofina complex was leaking hydrogen. The gas is non-toxic, but flammable. The hydrogen began leaking from a tanker trailer valve.
The leak was confined to the complex and no one was evacuated as a result of the incident.
Authorities said that plant officials acted quickly to secure ignition sources, and the leak was capped.
No injuries were reported.
Atofina's downriver plant was the scene of a tragic explosion last summer.
Three people were killed and nine people were injured when a rail car carrying 25,000 gallons of methyl mercaptan at Atofina began leaking, caught fire and exploded in the early morning hours July 14.
The National Transportation Safety Board blamed a 1-inch pipe valve that separated, causing the chemical to explode.
The blast reportedly released dangerous levels of the chemical to the air, causing more than 2,000 people to be evacuated in Riverview and nearby Grosse Ile, Wyandotte and Trenton.
A lawsuit on behalf of 27 residents was filed in federal court earlier this month against Atofina over findings from an investigation into a deadly summer fire. Two similar lawsuits were filed against the company following the deadly blast last year.
Stay tuned to ClickOnDetroit.com for more on this developing story.
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