Officials are advising people smelling a foul odor today across the metro area to stay inside.
"It's not dangerous at the levels that it's being released at this time, but we want people to basically take shelter," St. Charles Parish Public Information Officer Renee Allemand told WWL First News.
If it is not dangerous, why are officials advising people take shelter?
"It is a noxious odor and if they breathe enough of it in, they could have reactions that they would have to any noxious odor like dizziness and vomiting. So, we just want people to stay indoors if they can and just to know that at this time it is not dangerous," Allemand said.
Listen to Allemand:
St. Charles Parish has set up a shelter at Landry Middle School next to the courthouse. She says it is for people along River Road from the Old Crawfish Plant Road to Highway 3142.
Allemand says officials at the Dow Chemical Plant in Hahnville are working to contain and eliminate the odor. She says the chemical involved is Ethyl Acrylate.
Jefferson Parish Fire Department Spokesman George Riggamer is also advising people to stay inside if they small the chemical. "I would shelter in place. I would stay indoors," he told WWL First News.
Folks in St. Charles, Jefferson and Orleans Parish have complained to WWL First news that they feel ill.
"It's nauseating, man!" one caller said.
"You get kind of light headed behind this stuff," another insisted.
One more caller said he was "dizzy."
E-Mail Story
Print Story
