Large plume of ethylenediamine released over Sugar Land

Firefighters are responding to an emergency call today at the Nalco chemical plant on U.S. Highway 90 near Texas Highway 6 in Sugar Land, said Sugar Land police spokesman Doug Adolph.

Adolph said fire officials don't know what is burning, although a large plume of white smoke could be seen for miles. By 2:15, the smoke had dissipated. Authorities, however, ordered a shelter-in-place at five Fort Bend schools: Lakeview Elementary, Sugar Mill Elementary, Sugar Land Middle School, Kempner High School and M.R. Wood.

Video footage from the scene indicates that a tanker truck may have been venting its contents.

Nalco, according to its Web site, is the leading provider of integrated water treatment and process improvement services, chemicals, and equipment programs for industrial and institutional applications.

• Houston Chronicle Report: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4454957.html
• KHOU Channel 11 TV Report: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou070108_jj_swleak.1e540959.html
• KPRC Channel 2 TV Report: http://www.click2houston.com/news/10697121/detail.html
• KTRL Channel 13 TV Report: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=4915798

What is ethylenediamine? http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/ethylenediamine/recognition.html#healthhazard

Anyone else find it an odd coincidence that the US is also experiencing (the same day) a mysterious gaslike odor in Manhattan and dead birds prompting a shutdown of downtown Austin ?