24 People Treated After Georgia Plant’s Chemical Release

Two-dozen people were decontaminated Monday morning after a chemical was released at a plant in the northwest Georgia city of Dalton, authorities said.

People within a half-mile of the plant, on the city’s southern edge, were told to stay indoors, Dalton police spokesman Bruce Frazier said. No evacuations had been ordered, he added.

The 24 people did not appear to be experiencing any serious symptoms, but were being checked out since the chemical can cause some skin irritation and mild respiratory problems, Frazier told The Associated Press.

Police closed some roads around the plant, MFG Chemical Inc., authorities said.

The accident occurred when the company was manufacturing a product used in water treatment it calls Coagulant 129, Frazier told The Daily Citizen newspaper.

It was released after an explosion which removed part of a roof from a building at the company’s plant, WRCB-TV reported.

The company’s website says it manufactures a variety of chemicals for customers ranging from large multi-national corporations to startup companies.

Dalton is about 85 miles northwest of Atlanta.