Floyd County Emergency Management Agency Kent Barrow previously said hydrogen peroxide was the released substance. He later confirmed it was nitrogen oxide.
According to Barrow, the release was caused by an issue in the plant’s cleaning process, and a tank overflowed, releasing the gas.
“We believe that there are no health issues,” Barrow said Tuesday morning. “You’d have to be standing over [the plume] to have major effects.”
Barrow said the nitrogen oxide should disperse into the air and that the only cleanup needed would be inside the plant.
Nitrogen oxides are a family of chemicals released in the burning of fuel for cars, buildings and factories. At certain amounts nitrogen oxides can irritate eyes and lungs and cause coughing, tiredness and nausea, according to the CDC.
When the gas release first occurred, residents were told to shelter in place, as were students at Indiana University Southeast’s campus.
Both of those orders have been lifted.
IUS FINAL update: Shelter in place on campus has been lifted. Continue to avoid area south of campus as local authorities work to clean up the chemical release.
— IU Southeast (@IUSoutheast) March 14, 2023
According to data from the EPA, a little more than 4,000 people reside in a 1-mile radius of the chemical plant. Demographic data shows a majority of those residents are white and 46% of households report an income greater than $75,000.
This story has been updated.
