A chemical explosion at the Bayer CropScience plant rocked West Virginia last night at around 9:25pm, killing one worker and injuring another.
Apparently, there was no sign of chemical exposure in the area, but residents could feel the explosion from miles away.
Here’s more, from AP:
- State Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Kathy Cosco said the primary chemical involved, methyl isobutyl ketone, is highly flammable but not especially toxic.[...]
- Bayer said the cause of the explosion has not been determined. The unit was shut down and will not be restarted until the company determines that it can be safely operated.
- Methyl isobutyl ketone and another solvent in the unit, hexane, are used to produce the insecticide Larvin, which is made only at the Institute plant. The accident is expected to create a shortage of Larvin, which has seen growing demand from the global agricultural economy, Crosby said.
Read the full story here.
