NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- The chemical company responsible for three chemical leaks in six months said it has "shut down all of the affected processes" as it investigates what has caused multiple chemical leaks.
"If the accident keep happening I think someone have to be accountable," said Hao Siu who works in New Albany.
A dark yellow plume of smoke was released into the air after a chemical leak in New Albany, Indiana, on Thursday.
The leak took place shortly before 3 p.m. at Blue Grass Chemical Specialties. The plant had similar leaks in March and June.
According to the Floyd County Health Department, the release was NOx (oxides of nitrogen) and a shelter in place was made to the surrounding area.
"I think it should be considered that we send them a bill for our services that we keep providing out there," Josh Turner, a first responder said.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management had a pending enforcement case against Blue Grass Chemical before Thursday's incident.
Following the March and June incidents, IDEM identified four violations at Blue Grass Chemical.
Two of the four violations involved the company's "scrubber," the system used as an air pollution control device.
According to the IDEM report, “Blue Grass Chemical Specialties, LLC, stated that on March 14, 2023, due to an uncontrolled reaction in Reactor Tank #1, excess NOx emissions were produced, causing the wet scrubber to become overwhelmed, allowing for uncontrolled emissions to be released to the atmosphere.”
In the June incident, “Blue Grass Chemical Specialties, LLC, stated that on June 6, 2023, due to an insufficient amount of hydrogen peroxide in the scrubber solution, NOx emissions were not properly controlled, which allowed for uncontrolled emissions to be released to the atmosphere.”
Both incidents resulted in yellow-colored gas to be released in the sky.
"You don't have to be an engineer or environmental engineer to understand that if you can see a yellow cloud near something has malfunctioned," Turner said.
In a statement following Thursday's incident, Blue Grass Chemical president Matt Brenner said:
"Blue Grass Chemical Specialties is a leading Aqueous Inorganic Metal Salt Solutions manufacturer located in New Albany, Indiana. On Thursday August 3, 2023, at 3:00pm EDT, one of our reactors released NOx (oxides of nitrogen), a common by-product of the standard chemical process at Blue Grass, beyond the amount our scrubber system could handle, leaving a yellow plume that eventually made its way out of our plant.
Our team acted swiftly and effectively to contain and resolve the reaction issue, and we are grateful to report that there were no injuries to our employees and the plume was deemed not harmful by safety officials. We are complying with the standards of Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and are conducting a thorough internal review to determine the cause of the incident. Blue Grass has voluntarily shut down all of the affected processes and will not operate them again until the root cause of the emission is found and internal processes are changed.
We want to assure the public that the safety of our employees, the surrounding community, and the environment is our top priority. We also understand the importance of transparency in situations like this and will continue to keep our stakeholders informed.
Thank you to our employees, the first responders and the community for their support."
IDEM said it's still investigating following Thursday's release. The department is also in communication with Blue Grass Chemical to determine any control measures and to ensure it remains in compliance with the facility's air permit.
"I've asked that they come before Council, and explain what's happened, where their process failed, and what are they going to do going forward," asked Turner.
No injuries were reported following Thursday's incident.
IDEM said in response to the third incident:
"IDEM Emergency Response was notified Thursday of an incident at the Blue Grass Chemical Specialties facility in New Albany, resulting in the release of Nitrogen Oxide (NOx).
The facility processes that caused the release were, and remain, shut down as the cause is being investigated.
As part of their permit with IDEM, Blue Grass Chemical is required to report emissions that deviate from emission standards of the Clean Air Act. IDEM will subsequently review reports and take appropriate action in the case of any violations.
IDEM Office of Air Quality staff is in communication with Blue Grass Chemical representatives to determine necessary control measures to ensure operations remain in compliance with the facility’s air permit."
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