BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A final investigation report on the explosion and fires at the Dow Chemical plant in Plaquemine identified the cause of the incident.
Explosions and fires occurred at 9:15 p.m. on July 14, 2023, at the Dow Chemical plant in Plaquemine, resulting in the release of ethylene oxide from the Glycol II unit. Residents were ordered to shelter in place as crews worked. No injuries were reported.
According to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), the incident happened when ethylene oxide, a reactive and flammable chemical product and known carcinogen, inadvertently entered pressure relief piping and ignited after mixing with air…