BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas – Four suspicious packages were found at a plant in Brazoria County on Tuesday.
The package was found at the INEOS Chocolate Bayou Plant, on F.M. 2004 about two miles south of F.M. 2917, about 8:15 a.m.
The plant's 900 contract workers were sent home for the day, but the 350 full-time employees remained at the plant.
"Right now we're in the middle of a turnaround," INEOS spokesman Charles Saunders said. "That's where we bring down the operating units when you otherwise cannot work on them while running."
Federal and local officials investigated for three hours and deemed the plant to be safe.
Officials said the packages were a pallet of paint that arrived at the plant in the morning. A detonator marked "explosive" was strapped to the shipment and wrapped in plastic.
Investigators said they know who sent the paint and are questioning that person.
According to the its website, the plant manufactures olefins and polypropylene.