Alabama residents say they weren’t alerted to chlorine leak

MCINTOSH, Ala. (AP) – Residents of a Washington County town are complaining they were never properly notified of a chlorine leak from a chemical plant.

A report by Olin Corp. to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management says 738 pounds of chlorine leaked from its McIntosh plant during a 12-hour period on Feb. 15.

Resident Lucille Kimble-Foster tells WALA-TV that Olin never called residents, and she’s worried about the poisonous gas harming her health. She notes that pine trees in her yard have turned brown.

McIntosh Police Chief Mike Ready says one officer who responded to an Olin request to block a road developed respiratory problems. He says officers weren’t notified until an hour and a half after the leak began.

Olin says it’s investigating and says safety is its “number one priority.”

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