CSB Begins Probe Into Chemical Leak At DuPont Plant That Killed Four Workers

(RTTNews) - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) announced Sunday that it has deployed an eight person investigation team to conduct a probe on the fatal chemical release at the Houston, Texas-based La Porte plant of chemicals giant EI DuPont de Nemours & Co. (DD), commonly called DuPont.

CSB confirmed that five of eight team members plan to receive a briefing from company officials late Sunday, while the full team will begin work Monday morning.

According to DuPont officials and media reports, four people were killed and a fifth was hospitalized when methyl mercaptan, a toxic chemical used as feedstock to make insecticides and fungicide, was released into the air. Officials of the company attribute the accident partly to a leaky valve.

Separately, DuPont said in a news conference statement that the release of the gas, which began at 4.00 a.m. central time on Saturday, was contained and it appears at this point that several of the employees were responding to a leak in a valve. The company added that the leak had fortunately at no time posed a danger to the community outside our facility.

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the deceased workers. Our goal in investigating this accident is to determine the root cause and make recommendations to prevent any similar accidents throughout the industry," CSB Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso said in a statement.

CSB noted that its probe team plans to initially examine the accident site, conduct initial interviews with witnesses, as well as with key operators and managers. It will also request documentation on a range of relevant activities, such as maintenance histories of key equipment, training, and work schedules.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

The CSB said it has previously investigated four accidents at DuPont facilities; a 2010 phosgene release at the DuPont Plant in Belle West Virginia resulting in one fatality and that same year a hot work accident at the DuPont facility outside of Buffalo, New York, fatally injured one worker.

DD closed Friday's regular trading session at $70.80, up $0.25 0r 0.35% on a volume of 3.05 million shares.