Shell factory in Louisiana spewing chemicals after being hit by Hurricane Ida
- Hurricane Ida has damaged the Shell factory in Louisiana.
- Energy company Phillips 66 also reported two damaged pipelines in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana.
The smell of sulfur and clouds of thick smoke covers the Shell factory in Louisiana as it spews chemicals after being hit by Hurricane Ida.
The Hurricane has caused a gasoline spill endangering the health of both local residents and the local environment. The degree of the pollution is unknown, with emergency and environmental services still getting back up-and-running after the hurricane's devastation, The Guardian reported.
As a result of Hurricane Ida's devastation across the country, Shell says that 80% of its production remains offline, according to Oil and Gas Journal.
Shell factories aren't the only factory impacted. Energy company Phillips 66 reported two damaged pipelines in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, Bloomberg reports, leading to a propane and isobutane leak, both flammable gases that are highly dangerous to humans.
Bernardo Fallas, a spokesman for Phillips 66, said the pipelines had been shut down before the storm made landfall, and any chemicals that remained were being flared. The company would assess the damage and start repairs once its workers safely reached the site, The New York Times reported.
The area of Port Fourchon, Galliano, and Houma, Louisiana - home to many energy and fuel suppliers - were battered by Hurricane Ida's 150-mile-per-hour (240 km per hour) winds.
"The area is completely devastated,"Tony Odak, chief operating officer of Stone Oil Distributor, told Reuters. "You have infrastructure that needs to be rebuilt."