Asbestos Released in German Huntsman Blast
The explosion of a nitrogen tank at a production facility for titanium dioxide (TiO2) belonging to US chemical producer Huntsman at Chempark Uerdingen in Germany injured 20 workers – one of them seriously – on Aug.5 and local officials said it also released asbestos.
A spokesperson for the North Rhine-Westphalia environment authority Lanuv said the contamination at the facility at site was being treated as a “local event” that was not likely to pose a threat to nearby residential areas.
However, the levels of asbestos measured inside the partially collapsed building formerly belonging to chemical producer Sachtleben – the company acquired by Huntsman with its takeover of Rockwood last year – was being “taken seriously” by authorities.
The plant built in the 1950s was cordoned off in a 100-meter radius and on the weekend was declared off limits to cleanup crews because of the threat of contamination.
Production of TiO2 was said to be operating normally, as the affected structure was at the end of the production chain.
