Kuraray America Chemical Fire Linked to Plant Changes

Welders at a Pasadena, Texas, specialty chemicals plant ignited a chemical vapor cloud released as a result of flawed equipment design, injuring 21 people, a federal safety agency said Oct. 24.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is investigating what happened at the Kuraray EVAL facility May 19. The plant is owned by Kuraray America Inc., a subsidiary of Japanese chemical producer Kuraray Co., Ltd. The board will issue a report identifying the root cause of the fire and actions that can be taken to prevent a similar incident.

Fire Happened During Maintenance

Kuraray America shut the plant ...