FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2018
4:10 p.m. CDT

KURARAY AMERICA, INC. STATEMENT ON FIRE AT KURARAY AMERICA’S EVAL™ SITE

HOUSTON – Officials with Kuraray America, Inc. confirm that a fire occurred at the company’s EVAL™ facility in Pasadena, Texas, at the corner of Choate Road and Bay Area Boulevard at approximately 10:22 a.m. CDT today. The fire has been extinguished and there is no threat to the surrounding area.

At the time of the incident, 266 employees and contract personnel were onsite as part of a turnaround with heavy maintenance activities. All have been accounted for. Twenty-one individuals were transported to off-site medical facilities for treatment.

Preliminary findings indicate a pressure safety valve released ethylene causing a flash fire in one of our process units. The company continues to work with authorities to complete the investigation.

“On behalf of Kuraray America, Inc., we send our thoughts and prayers to those who were injured and impacted by today’s incident,” said Eric Bass, Plant Manager of the EVAL Plant of Kuraray America, Inc. “Our team is committed to determining the cause of the incident.”

About Kuraray EVAL™

Kuraray is a globally recognized specialty chemical company that creates quality, sustainable solutions that strengthen products from a diverse range of industries. It was the first entity in the world to bring ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) polymers to market. The company operates many subsidiaries around the world, including Kuraray America, Inc., which is headquartered in Houston. Kuraray is a world leader in barrier polymer material. EVAL™ resins have traditionally been used in household food packaging – from baby foods to shredded cheese. Additionally, this technology is applied every day in automotive plastic fuel tanks, pipes for floor heating systems and agricultural fumigation films. For more information about Kuraray’s EVAL™ resin visit www.kuraray.us.com.

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Contact: Kuraray America, Inc.
Jennifer Murphy
936.328.7940
Jennifer.Murphy@Kuraray.com