BAYTOWN, Texas (Sept. 28) — A Sept. 26 explosion at a polyurethane feedstock plant operated by Bayer Corp. in Baytown injured 22 people.
The explosion happened about 11:30 a.m. in a process vessel used to make toluene diisocyanate, said a spokesman with Pittsburgh-based Bayer. The injured were treated and released from local hospitals by the end of the day.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation, the spokesman said. TDI production at the site has been halted, with no restart date confirmed. The extent of damage to the site also is undetermined. The investigation is expected to last several weeks.
Customers who had received TDI from Baytown will be supplied from other Bayer locations.
The incident is the second at the site in the past 16 months. In June 2005, a maintenance mechanic died after being exposed to plastic feedstock phenol during an accidental release.