Four people were taken to a hospital after a chemical leak at an Archer Daniels Midland plant in SW Cedar Rapids. Two were reported to be in serious condition, and two with minor injuries.
Officials are still not sure of exactly what happened at this point but are suspecting the chemical was sulfur dioxide.
The incident started in the refinery department and spread to the Fructose Building. Workers called 911 around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday. About 75 workers were evacuated from the areas involved. Those workers were allowed back in just after 1:00 p.m.
Officials say the workers are most likely suffering from sulfur dioxide inhalation, but the problem could be hydrochloric acid. Sulfur dioxide is used to soften corn at the plant.
Around 80 trucks hauling corn to the plant were backed up for a mile on Willow Creek Drive SW, unable to deliver their loads because of the incident.
It is events like this that remind us of the importance of having business continuity plans in place. For more information and FREE report Refer to our earlier post Create a Business Continuity Plan for Your Business.