LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The interstate has reopened and all shelter-in-place orders have been lifted after emergency crews were called to the scene a "chemical release" of nitrogen oxide at a New Albany plant Tuesday morning. 

According to Kent Barrow, the director of the Floyd County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), the incident took place at Blue Grass Chemical Specialties at 895 Industrial Boulevard in New Albany.

Firefighters and representatives of the EMA were on the scene and a yellow cloud was visible in the sky. 

A representative of Indiana State Police said the agency shut down I-265 eastbound near Charlestown Road (Exit 4) and westbound lanes at State Street (Exit 1) for about 30 minutes. Officials also shut down Mount Tabor Road, near the plant. Shortly after 11:30 a.m., WDRB received word from Indiana State Police Sgt. Carey Huls that all roads had been reopened.

Residents and business to the south of the plant were also asked to shelter in place, including Mount Tabor Elementary School and Christian Academy of Indiana.

IU Southeast briefly asked anyone on campus to shelter in place due to the chemical release. 

Since then, authorities issued the "all clear" and all shelter-in-place orders have been lifted.

"I spoke with Blue Grass Chemical Specialties's [sic] chemical engineer, and he informed me that the smoke was a form of Nitrogen Oxide that is not harmful at these quantities," Mayor Jeff Gahan said, in a statement. "There was no explosion or fire at the plant. The smoke was due to a reaction inside the plant, and the reaction has stopped. Emergency Management crews, after utilizing gas monitors on site, have now given the all clear for the area. The yellow smoke has dissipated from the area and affected roadways are open."

Paul McCauley, the executive vice president at the plant, told reporters Tuesday afternoon that the release was caused by a "reactor which reacted at a rate faster than normal."

"This morning, the reaction was proceeding at a rate that we could not get it to the scrubbers quickly enough, and it filled up our building," he said. "And after it filled our building, of course, it released into the air and wafted through the air until we could get the reaction under control and get things back to a state of normalcy."

McCauley said company officials have not yet determined how much of the chemical had been released, but the business is currently conducting an internal investigation.

He added that no one from the business had been hospitalized, but added that, "NOx is a pollutant. No pollutant is good to breathe in, needless to say. NOx comes out of the tailpipe of your car as well, it's just different concentrations."

He emphasized that no one was at any danger at this point, but that, "anytime you’re in the chemical industry, there's always cause for concern, obviously. That’s why we have scrubbers, is to abate the NOx and abate the pollution, and sometimes things don't go as planned."

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