CANTONMENT, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say no one was injured when a paper mill exploded in Florida’s Panhandle.
Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Eddie Elmore said some roads around the International Paper Company Plant in Cantonment remained closed Monday.
Elmore said the roads are coated with a sticky, black substance that causes skin, eye and respiratory irritations.
The Florida Department of Transportation had responded to the scene due to the substance’s chemical makeup. Elmore said the chemicals had a soap-like base that could make roads slippery and hazardous.
In a statement , International Paper officials said “a manufacturing process failure that released a mixture of wood fiber, water and pulping liquor.” The cause of the blast is being investigated.
The Pensacola News Journal (https://on.pnj.com/2jeEtV4 ) reported that residents nearly 20 miles away heard the explosion Sunday evening.
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Information from: Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, https://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com
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