Formosa exceeds limit with toxic vinyl chloride emission - Victoria Advocate

Formosa exceeds limit with toxic vinyl chloride emission | Environment | victoriaadvocate.com

The Formosa Plastics plant near Point Comfort reported Monday it had exceeded state regulations by releasing too much of a toxic chemical known to cause cancer.

According to a report Formosa submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, vinyl chloride with a concentration of nearly 58 pounds was emitted into the air by the plant’s polyvinyl chloride unit on Sunday. TCEQ’S emission limit is 1 pound.

Vinyl chloride was one of the chemicals officials burned following a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio last month. Before the chemical burn, residents were ordered to evacuate.

Chronic exposure to vinyl chloride can lead to liver cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other symptoms include nausea, fatigue and irritation of the eyes and skin.

In a statement, Formosa said it took its closed-loop chilled water system offline after discovering a gas leak. An investigation into why the system failed is ongoing.

Formosa officials said they did not think the emission posed a risk to the public or plant employees.

“Monitoring does not indicate there is an impact to employees or the community,” Formosa spokesperson Amy Blanchett said.

Plastic manufacturers often use vinyl chloride to make PVC. PVC is used to produce various plastic products.

Ladonna Thigpen, Calhoun County emergency management coordinator, declined to comment about the release. TCEQ officials said they could not provide a comment on the matter on Monday.