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Dow has properly handled pipeline leak
Published November 4, 2009
Dow Chemical Co. officials can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to public opinion, but looking at their handling of a recent leak, they deserve one.
When they found out about a pipeline leak of toluene diisocyanate, a urethane used in the production of cushions like mattresses and pillows, they notified residents and evacuated 65 Freeport families. They’re paying for what looks as though it will be a nine-day stay at an area hotel. The company even plans to reimburse the affected families for other expenses associated with the inconvenience while the pipeline is being fixed.
For the most part, residents have been understanding, but there have been grumblings around town that Dow didn’t act quickly enough, and that company officials knew about the leak before they said they did.
From what we know of the situation now, that criticism seems unfair.
Dow officials seem to have acted quickly and decisively and done more than what was required of the situation.
Monitors tracking the leak have found no emissions in the neighborhood or on Dow property, according both to the company and state regulators. Despite there being no overt signs of danger, company officials still acted out of what they said was an abundance of caution in asking residents to leave their homes while crews repair the leak.
Weather has made the project take longer than expected, but the workers have been there around the clock, and Dow representatives have checked on residents regularly and updated them on the progress. They also have posted Dow security in the emptied neighborhoods, supplementing efforts of local police to keep opportunistic burglars away.
If anything, people are suspicious because Dow is being too nice, too accommodating.
Pipelines are one byproduct of having the largest chemical complex in North America in our county. Other byproducts are thousands of jobs, tax dollars supporting area school districts and industrial agreement payments to area cities. That’s not to mention the philanthropic gifts Dow and other area chemical plants give to the local college and countless nonprofit organizations.
Those benefits don’t give our industrial neighbors a free pass to pollute or to keep information from us that is vital to our health. In this case, though, it doesn’t seem like the leak was the result of careless business practices or that there has been a cover-up in Dow’s handling of it.
Pipes age, and inevitably they will leak. The best things industry officials can do are identify those problems quickly and help neighbors while they try to fix them.
Dow has done that.
This editorial was written by Yvonne Mintz, managing editor of The Facts.
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