By RachnaManojkumar Dhanrajani and Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES -Louisiana authorities lifted a shelter-in-place order within five hours of issuing it after a chlorine leak on Monday.
A fire and chlorine spill at Olin Corp’s plant in Plaquemine, a tenant at the Dow Chemical facility, was reported to Iberville Sheriff’s office around 8:40 p.m., sheriff’s office official Clint Moore told Reuters by telephone.
“After continuously monitoring the air quality, we feel it is safe to return to normal activities. However, we are still investigating the source of fire and the leak,” Moore said.
“No injuries have been reported from the incident and there is no offsite potential exposure too. Meanwhile, efforts towards chlorine response continue along with analysis to identify the cause of the event,” an Olin Corp spokesperson told Reuters by email.
State police also reopened Louisiana Highway 1 in both directions near the plant.
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An order to shelter in place, issued during a state of emergency, requires people to stay indoors and not leave unless necessary.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb, Rachna Dhanrajani and Shivam Patel; editing by Clarence Fernandez and Jason Neely)