Hazmat Team Rush To Wisconsin Plant As Reports Emerge of Staff Evacuation Over Chemical Leak

The reported incident comes as residents of East Palestine, Ohio, demand answers about a chemical leak on 3 February, when a train hauling cars with hazardous materials derailed. The chemicals were diverted and burnt as part of a so-called controlled release - releasing toxic chemicals such as hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the environment.

Hazmat teams and emergency crews were deployed to the Lavelle Industries plant in Burlington, Wisconsin, on 1 March, after reports emerged that an unknown chemical had leaked from one of the tanks.

According to local media reports, city officials provided buses to evacuate more than 100 employees from the plant.

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🚨BREAKING: Lavelle Industries in Burlington, Wisconsin evacuated due to a hazmat emergencypic.twitter.com/OtcU42f5qk #news #TheFOXposts

— The FOX Posts (@thefoxposts) March 1, 2023

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Lavelle makes rubber and plastic products for industrial equipment, transportation, electronics and medical applications.

The worrying incident in Burlington comes amid concerns of long-term health impact after a train with hazardous materials was derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. A big fire erupted because of the derailment, with officials deciding to burn vinyl chloride inside five of the tanker cars to avoid a catastrophic explosion. The accident released toxic chemicals, including hydrogen chloride, phosgene, butyl acrylate, and ethylene, into the environment.

Despite repeated assurances that the air and water are safe, residents in the area have told Sputnik of recent health effects, including headaches, burning skin, and irritated eyes, as well as anxiety about long-term health risks such as cancer. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources told Sputnik in mid-February that approximately 3,500 fish had died in waterways near the train derailment site.