Chlorine Leak Reported At Pittsburg Chemical Plant

PITTSBURG (KCBS) – The Dow Chemical facility in Pittsburg leaked an undetermined amount of chlorine Wednesday morning, according to a company spokeswoman.

Dow Chemical spokeswoman Patty Deutsche said the leak came from a broken flange in one of the facility's reactors. The leak caused a small cloud which did not move beyond the property boundaries, said Deutsche.

It's unclear exactly how much chlorine was leaked, but Deutsche said that it was quickly stopped, and no one was injured. The plant began operating normally later Wednesday morning.

Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials Program officials said that they got word of the leak at the facility shortly after 5 a.m. They add that the situation was not extreme enough for the department to issue any sort of official alert to the community.

The Pittsburg plant makes personal care products like sunscreens and cosmetics, fumigants for homes infested with termites, and a number of agricultural products.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)