— @HCSOTexasThe plant produces chemicals called liquid organic peroxides that are very flammable and explosive. Organic peroxides are chemicals that contain "peroxy" — the same component found in hydrogen peroxide (which, incidentally, is made at Arkema's Bécancour, Que., plant). The difference between organic peroxides and hydrogen peroxides is that organic peroxides contain carbon in addition to hydrogen, so they decompose not into water, but into flammable fuels. The Arkema chemical plant is located in a rural area about 40 kilometres northeast of Houston in Crosby, Texas. Like other fuels, when organic peroxides burn, they turn into carbon dioxide, water, and other compounds that also have different levels of toxicity.

Source: CBC News August 31, 2017 19:11 UTC