A feedstock leak has caused Formosa Plastics Corp. USA to shut down its PVC resin production unit in Point Comfort, Texas.
Almost 170 pounds of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) were released from a 3-inch de-gas line at the site between April 12-13, according to a filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. VCM is a feedstock used to make PVC resin.
Officials with Formosa in Livingston, N.J., could not be reached for comment on April 14. The firm also makes polyethylene, polypropylene and related products in Point Comfort.
Point Comfort is Formosa's largest suspension PVC production site, with annual capacity estimated at almost 1.8 billion pounds. The firm also makes suspension PVC in Baton Rouge, La., and dispersion PVC in Delaware City, Del.