DuPont responsible for 23,000 pound methyl mercaptan leak in Texas

A recent fatal accident at DuPont in La Porte, Texas leaked 23,000 pounds of methyl mercaptan, according to a story in The Texas Tribune. The accident killed four workers and hospitalized one. The leak was much worse than the 100 pounds of methyl mercaptan DuPont originally estimated had escaped.

Despite the characteristic rotten egg or sulfur smell which filled La Porte for an entire day, environmental monitoring by Harris County claimed the leak caused no hazard to the public due to the low concentration of the chemical outdoors in this case.

However, DuPont has been cited numerous times for violating state laws. The company had not performed regular inspections nor kept its equipment in good working order and was fined in several instances.

Top image: A recent fatal accident at DuPont in La Porte, Texas leaked 23,000 pounds of methyl mercaptan. (Credit: The Texas Tribune)