Evacuation order lifted after chemical leak at Texas plant

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LA PORTE, Texas — An evacuation order has been lifted in an industrial area of a Houston-area city following a chemical release earlier in the week.

Dow Chemical said Thursday there’s “no longer a risk of community impact” in areas surrounding its chemical plant in La Porte, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Houston.

A tank truck trailer over-pressurized on Wednesday, causing the chemical hydroxyethyl acrylate to escape through a safety valve, officials have said. A shelter-in-place order was issued shortly afterward amid air quality concerns, but that order was lifted after monitoring found no issues.

The evacuation order had remained in place within a half-mile (0.8-kilometer) radius of the plant, but that was lifted by midday Thursday. Dow Chemical said late Thursday that the tank was isolated and the site was stable.

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