Six people were taken to the hospital, two in critical condition, and more than 100 employees were evaluated Thursday after being exposed to a deadly chemical at a power plant in Richmond, Texas, just outside of Houston.
The Fort Bend County Fire Marshal's Office received a call at about 5:44 p.m. regarding the exposure at the W.A. Parish Plant. Fort Bend County Hazmat Response Team, Fort Bend County EMS and local Fire Departments responded to the scene.
"Initial concerns were that the chemical could have been ammonia," the agency said in a statement. "Upon further investigation, the chemical has been identified as a biodegradable cleaner and degreaser that was overly applied."
Officials identified 106 workers who were potentially exposed. Six of them were transported to area hospitals "with the most severe symptoms being dizziness and difficulty breathing," the fire marshal's office said. Two of the workers were reportedly in critical condition.
Authorities didn't explained exactly how the exposure happened, or if there was some type of leak.
NRG, which operates the plant, issued a statement saying workers in a non-operational area of the plant had reported an unusual smell.
"The area was immediately evacuated and emergency responders were called. Some of the workers reported difficulty breathing," the statement said. "NRG is investigating what may have caused the incident. Work in the area will not resume until we are able to determine the cause of the incident."
Officials added that there was no no environmental exposure of any hazardous material and no danger to area residents or the public.
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