CSB Safety Video: Fire from the Storm - Chemical Release at Bio-Lab

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has released a new safety video on its investigation into the August 2020 fire and toxic gas release at the Bio-Lab Lake Charles chemical facility in Westlake, Louisiana, that occurred when the facility was severely damaged by Hurricane Laura. 

The CSB's new safety video, called “Fire From the Storm: Chemical Release at Bio-Lab,” includes an animation of the events leading to the incident, and commentary from CSB Board Member Catherine Sandoval and Investigator-In-Charge Vonzella Vincent.

The Bio-Lab facility manufactures and supplies water treatment products for pools and spas, including a formulation comprised primarily of the chemical trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA). In large bodies of water, like swimming pools, TCCA-based formulations dissolve and break down slowly, releasing available chlorine into the water to sanitize contaminants, such as algae and bacteria. However, when a TCCA-based formulation instead comes in contact with a small amount of water and does not dissolve, a chemical reaction can occur, generating heat and causing the material to decompose and produce toxic chlorine gas.

The CSB released its final investigation report on the incident at Bio-Lab on April 24, 2023. The CSB’s investigation found that as Category 4 Hurricane Laura approached, Bio-Lab took steps to remove chemical products from the facility via trucks. Because some trucks never arrived, however, over 1 million pounds of the TCCA-based formulation, as well as other chemicals, were left on-site ahead of the storm. Extreme wind from Hurricane Laura severely damaged buildings at the facility, allowing rainwater to seep into the damaged buildings and come in contact with the products stored inside. The stored chemicals reacted and decomposed, and a fire ignited. A large plume of hazardous gases, including toxic chlorine, traveled from the facility over the neighboring community. A portion of nearby Interstate 10 was closed for over 28 hours, and local officials issued a shelter-in-place order for the surrounding community due to the release of the hazardous gases.

In the safety video Board Member Sandoval states, “The fire and release at Bio-Lab is not the only significant chemical incident in recent years to be caused by extreme weather. Companies and regulators must take steps to ensure that chemical facilities are protected against damage from natural hazards, as extreme weather is becoming more common.”

As in the CSB’s final report, the safety video covers the five key safety issues that contributed to the incident. 

1. Extreme weather preparation:  Bio-Lab did not implement industry guidance for extreme weather preparation that was updated and published after the 2017 Arkema incident in Crosby, Texas, and as a result, was unprepared for the winds produced by Category 4 Hurricane Laura.
2. Process hazard analyses implementation:  Bio-Lab’s 2010 Process Hazard Analysis recommended the Lake Charles facility to “consider evaluating warehouse roof structure for hurricane conditions; verify warehouse is built to withstand high winds,” but the company did not implement the recommendation. If they had, they could have identified that the facility buildings were susceptible to damage from hurricane-strength winds, and likely would have implemented controls to prevent the TCCA-based formulation from being exposed to hurricane rainwater, which could have prevented the incident.
3. Emergency preparedness and response:  Bio-Lab experienced serious delays in responding to the TCCA-based formulation decomposition and fire due to an inadequate and largely nonfunctional fire protection system and the absence of automated sprinkler systems.
4. Adherence to applicable hazardous materials codes:  The Bio-Lab Lake Charles facility, built in 1979, did not conform to certain safeguards identified in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101 Life Safety Code for high-hazard industrial occupancies, which required automatic extinguishing systems or other protection to minimize danger to occupants before they have time to evacuate. The facility also did not conform to the NFPA 400 Hazardous Materials Code, which required a fire detection system and an automatic fire sprinkler system.
5. Regulatory coverage of reactive chemical hazards:  OSHA and EPA did not adequately consider reactive chemical hazards when developing their predefined chemical lists to identify the processes subject to coverage under the PSM Standard and RMP Rule, and, as a result, many reactive chemicals, including TCCA and TCCA based formulations, are not covered by these regulations.
   
   

The safety video also highlights safety recommendations made by the CSB to the state of Louisiana, the EPA, and OSHA.

Board Member Sandoval closes the video by saying, “The incident at Bio-Lab could have been prevented. Companies must be prepared for the hazards that extreme weather can present at their facilities. And regulatory bodies should do more to address hazards from reactive chemicals. These steps will help ensure that similar incidents never occur.”

When announcing the video today, CSB Chairperson Steve Owens stated: “The substance involved in the 2020 fire and toxic gas release at the Bio-Lab facility in Louisiana is the same substance involved in the catastrophic chemical fire last fall at Bio-Lab’s facility in Conyers, Georgia, that began on September 29, 2024, as well as another fire and toxic gas release that had occurred at the Bio-Lab Conyers facility in September 2020 shortly after the Louisiana event. These dangerous events underscore the need for Bio-Lab and other chemical facilities to have more effective safeguards in place to prevent hazards from reactive chemicals that put communities and workers at serious risk, as well as the need for EPA, OSHA, and other regulatory agencies to take comprehensive action to protect against reactive hazards.”

Last September, roughly 17,000 people in the community near Bio-Lab’s Conyers facility had to evacuate due to the fire at the facility, and as many as 90,000 others near Atlanta were advised to shelter in place due to the massive toxic plume of dark smoke coming from the fire, which contained chlorine and other substances. During the September 2020 fire and toxic gas release, businesses near the Conyers facility also evacuated, and Bio-Lab personnel and local firefighters were exposed to dangerous fumes.

About the CSB

The CSB is an independent, non-regulatory federal agency whose mission is to drive chemical safety change through independent investigations to protect people and the environment. The agency’s board members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical incidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems. The CSB does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. For more information, please visit www.csb.gov.