Details are scarce, currently. 2 were killed and many others injured after ~100,000 lbs of acetic acid leaked. However, another source has the Fire Marshall saying the leak was methyl iodide, hydrogen iodide, and methyl acetate, so there is even conflicting information on what actually leaked. The "leak" occurred from a reactor that was undergoing planned maintenance. The two fatalities were contractors.
No details on what actually precipitated the event, but the fire marshal also said, "Sometimes the terminology in these situations, when there's a leak, you think of something pouring out, but a leak could also be something exploded off the top and the chemical came out...So at this point, we, the fire marshal's office, are calling it a chemical explosion until we know more."
No details on what actually precipitated the event, but the fire marshal also said, "Sometimes the terminology in these situations, when there's a leak, you think of something pouring out, but a leak could also be something exploded off the top and the chemical came out...So at this point, we, the fire marshal's office, are calling it a chemical explosion until we know more."
