Chemical release at Bunge plant in Decatur
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAn evacuation order has been lifted after a chemical release Monday at a soybean processing plant in Decatur. Officials told our partners at WPTA-TV that air quality tests determined the area was safe from chemical hazards.
Fort Wayne Fire Department Deputy Chief Adam O’Connor told the station an issue with chemical mixing at the plant caused the release, which had a vinegar-like odor. However, fire officials said the release would not have any adverse effects on area residents.
The plant was evacuated out of an “abundance of caution,” O’Connor said, though one source told WPTA one person was taken to the hospital with minor skin irritation due to exposure.
The plant is located at 1200 N 2nd Street in Decatur. According to the Decatur Chamber of Commerce, the plant manufactures products such as bulk and bottled vegetable oil, shortening, lecithin, and meal for animal feeds, in addition to processing soybeans.
The plant is currently Bunge’s only soybean processing facility in Indiana. However, the company broke ground last month on a $500 million processing plant in Morristown.