Blue Island Phenol Closes Facility After Fire

BLUE ISLAND, Ill.—Blue Island Phenol closed its production facility here after a fire broke out in the oxidizer units. Blue Island, a private subsidiary of Tampa, Fla.-based JLM Chemicals, declared force majeure on all phenol and acetone shipments from the facility after the incident, which sent one employee to the hospital with chemical burns. According to a release from JLM Chemicals, the fire may have been caused by a power failure due to electrical storms in the area; the plant was being restarted after being without power for 12 hours when the fire occurred.

According to Sean Macdonald, president, JLM Chemicals, the companies are working to assess the extent of the damage and discussing possible options to minimize the impact on its customers.

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