Employees asked to shelter in place for over an hour after odor reported at Bayer plant in Baytown

BAYTOWN, Texas – Employees in the Makrolon unit at the Bayer Baytown Industrial Complex were told to shelter in place for over an hour after an odor was reported Thursday afternoon. The all-clear was given just before 5:30 p.m. 

According to plant officials, an emergency response plan was activated and appropriate agencies were notified about the incident. The plant said the incident was confined to the immediate area and poses no threat to the community. 

The plant was accounting for all people who were near or in the plant at the time the odor was detected. A spokesperson for the plant said at the process was well underway at 5 p.m.

In a statement, Bayer plant officials said, in part: "We regret any inconvenience due to this incident at Bayer.  Our top priority right now is protecting the safety and health of our employees, the community and response personnel.  The cause of the incident will be investigated later by a well-trained team of Bayer professionals to prevent a future reoccurrence (recurrence)."