Airborne Hazmat Leak at Edison Plant Thursday Morning

Edison, NJ - Edison Township firefighters and the Middlesex County Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) unit helped contain an airborne vapor release early Thursday morning at a 100-acre chemical manufacturing plant on Meadow Road. This is the second hazmat leak this week in Middlesex County: Four chemical storage tanks ruptured in Carteret on Tuesday, causing a leak. Four firefighters required medical treatment in that incident.

An equipment leak at LyondellBasell Industries, 340 Meadow Road, caused the release of a visible cloud on the facility's property at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday. The airborne material contained a whitening pigment commonly used sunscreen, paint, and toothpaste, said Michael Waldron, a spokesman for the company.

Working with LyondellBasell's emergency response team, Edison firefighters and HAZMAT specialists helped ensure the vapor cloud remained contained on-site as it dispersed, said fire Capt. Andy Toth, Edison's emergency management coordinator.

“The leak was contained to the plant site. We are confident there was no threat to public health, safety or the environment,” Toth said. Emergency personnel cleared the incident scene at shortly after 7 a.m.

“The plant’s response team quickly isolated the equipment and stopped the cause of the leak. We have begun the repair process,” Waldron said. “We apologize for any inconvenience or concern this issue may have caused. We want to thank local first responders who assisted in this effort.”

LyondellBasell is one of the world's largest plastics, chemical and refining companies. Its Edison plant makes chemical catalysts used by its customers in the production of polyethylene plastic resins.

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