$122,000 Fine Proposed For Chemical Company

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration has proposed fining Great Lakes Chemical Corp. of West Lafayette, Ind., $122,000 for 18 safety violations at its El Dorado chemical plant.

According to OSHA, the government group began an inspection at the plant in December. The inspection found that the plant did not meet criteria for several pressure-related safeguards.

"By failing to ensure that safeguards are in place, Great Lakes Chemical puts its workers at risk of exposure to bromine, a highly hazardous chemical that can cause severe burns to the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory system," OSHA’s Little Rock director, Carlos Reynolds, said in an OSHA release.

The plant employs 270 in El Dorado, and Great Lakes employs about 4,000 workers nationwide. The company has not yet replied to OSHA’s citation.

The news came shortly after the announcement that another plant in town, owned by El Dorado Chemical Co., will resume operations within a month. The El Dorado Chemical plant ceased production after a massive May 15 explosion destroyed a reactor and surrounding equipment, but harmed no one.

El Dorado Chemical’s parent, LSB Industries Inc. of Oklahoma City, said that its insurance would cover the damage and lost revenue, but it would still need to pay a $1 million deductible and wait 30 days to reopen.