Latest Chemicals Headlines
All the headlines from our Chemicals Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Reports: Explosion at Louisiana Chemical Plant Injures 5
Sep 29 2021 // Five people were injured in an explosion at a Louisiana chemical plant, news outlets reported. The explosion at the Westlake petrochemical plant near Lake Charles was reported late on Sept. 27, Louisiana State Police...
Maine Enacts Law That Will Ban Use of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in All Products by 2030
Aug 20 2021 // Maine last month enacted a law that makes it the first U.S. state to ban the use of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in nearly all products. PFAS are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals”...
Filtration System Blamed for Chemical Leak at Texas Water Park
Aug 6 2021 // A Texas water park says a chemical exposure that sent dozens of people to hospitals was caused by “improper installation” of a water filtration system. Six Flags officials said a third-party service company...
Forgotten Oil and Gas Wells Lingering, Leaking Toxic Chemicals
Aug 3 2021 // Rusted pipes litter the sandy fields of Ashley Williams Watt’s cattle ranch in windswept West Texas. The corroded skeletons are all that remain of hundreds of abandoned oil wells that were drilled long before her...
2 Dead; 7 Injured After Leak at Texas Chemical Plant
Jul 29 2021 // Two people are dead and dozens more were injured after a chemical leak at a Houston-area plant, officials said. The incident happened about 7:35 p.m. on July 27 and involved an acetic acid leak at the LyondellBasell...
Incident at Texas Dow Chemical Plant Prompts Shelter Order
Jul 22 2021 // Emergency officials issued evacuation or shelter-in-place orders in the morning July 21 for some people in a Houston-area city because of a “chemical incident” at a plant in the area. The shelter-in-place order...
DuPont, Spinoffs to Pay $50M to Delaware for ‘Forever Chemical’ Cleanup
Jul 21 2021 // DuPont Co. and two spinoffs will pay at least $50 million to Delaware to help clean up toxic chemicals, the Delaware Department of Justice announced. It’s the first time the state’s Department of Justice has...
Chemical Leak at Texas Water Park Sends 29 to Hospital
Jul 19 2021 // A chemical leak at a Houston-area water park left dozens suffering from minor skin irritation and respiratory issues on July 17, authorities said. Twenty-nine people were taken to local hospitals following the incident at...
State Officials Sue Owners of Illinois Chemical Plant that Burned
Jul 12 2021 // Illinois prosecutors on July 9 sued the owner of a chemical plant where a fire in June sent dark smoke and ash into the air for days and prompted evacuations, saying the company should be held accountable for air and water...
Company Defends Use of Toxic Chemicals to Fight Illinois Plant Fire
Jul 2 2021 // A company whose northern Illinois chemical plant was heavily damaged in a fire defended its use of firefighting foam containing toxic chemicals, saying crews had taken steps to contain the material. An industrial team...
Illinois Chemical Plant Fire Likely Accidental, Fire Chief Says
Jun 27 2021 // An explosion and massive fire at a chemical plant in northern Illinois that filled the sky with black smoke and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes for days was started accidentally during maintenance work, a senior...
Ship Carrying Chemicals Sinks Near Sri Lanka Capital, Prompting Pollution Fears
Jun 18 2021 // COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – A container ship carrying chemicals sank off Sri Lanka’s capital on Thursday nearly a month after catching fire, raising concerns about a possible environmental disaster. The ship’s...
Half of Cosmetics Contain Toxic PFAS Chemicals
Jun 17 2021 // More than half the cosmetics sold in the United States and Canada are awash with a toxic industrial compound associated with serious health conditions, including cancer and reduced birth weight, according to a new...
Feds Inspected Illinois Chemical Plant Weeks Before Explosion, Fires
Jun 16 2021 // A northern Illinois chemical plant that was rocked by an explosion and massive fires that prompted evacuations was inspected by a federal agency less than a month before the blast sent debris raining down onto nearby...
Explosion, Fire at Illinois Chemical Plant Prompt Evacuations
Jun 15 2021 // An explosion at a chemical plant in northern Illinois sparked massive fires that sent flames and huge plumes of thick black smoke high into the air Monday morning, prompting evacuations. Emergency crews rushed to the scene...
Data Recorder Recovered from Ship Carrying Chemicals Sinking Off Sri Lanka
Jun 7 2021 // COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) – Experts recovered the data recorder of a fire-ravaged ship carrying chemicals that is slowly sinking off Sri Lanka’s capital, as salvage crews stood by to head off a possible environmental...
Meetings to Be Held on Status of PFAS Chemicals in New Hampshire Communities
May 17 2021 // Meetings will be held online for three southern New Hampshire communities to give the public updates on the status of chemicals found in the water, the Department of Environmental Services said. The meetings are scheduled...
Study Warns of Volunteer Firefighters’ Levels of ‘Forever Chemicals’
May 5 2021 // Volunteer firefighters — who comprise more than 65 percent of the U.S. fire service — have higher levels of “forever chemicals” in their bodies than the general public. A Rutgers study, which was published...
Firefighter Injured in Blaze at Eastern Missouri Chemical plant
Apr 30 2021 // A firefighter was injured on April 29 during a large fire at a chemical plant in eastern Missouri that forced evacuations in nearby neighborhoods. Fire personnel responded to the scene at the Manor Chemical Plant in...
Worker Group Alleges Unsafe Chemical Releases at Minnesota Refinery: Reuters
Apr 26 2021 // Inadequate safety standards at Marathon Petroleum’s St. Paul Park refinery in Minnesota have caused avoidable hydrocarbon and chemical releases that pose a threat to the community, a local worker advocacy group said...
