I was a little disturbed reading DuPont Says Plant Leaked 23,000 Pounds of Toxic Gas in the Texas Tribune. Reading this article made me more concerned for my health from what is let in the air. About a month ago The DuPont chemical plant located in La Porte about 30 miles outside of Houston, TX leaked around 23,000 pounds of flammable toxic gas "About 23,000 pounds of a flammable, foul-smelling toxic gas leaked from the DuPont chemical plant". Some of the harmful gas leaked is known as methyl mercaptan it can cause reactions such as nausea, vomiting and fluid buildup in the lungs.
    About 100 pounds of methyl mercaptan was leaked killing four workers on the plant and hospitalizing another. The gross smell that it gives off over took La Porte for about 24 hours after the accident. The company stated that "The release occurred inside a process building at the site’s Crop Protection unit and dissipated from openings in that structure over time". The U.S chemical safety and hazard investigation board is still investigating the incident. The county health officials didn't seem very concerned saying that "the leak posed little risk to the community because the gas rapidly degrades once released into the air". The Texas Tribune has reported that these unauthorized leaks of toxic chemicals are common in Texas "Thousands — and even millions — of pounds of toxic chemicals beyond what permits allow have spewed from the state's facilities". There has been 19 other recordings of leaked methyl mercaptan in Texas since 2009 according to state data, but none of them harming anybody "DuPont’s was the only methyl mercaptan release that killed or injured workers during that period".