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News
Texas Chlor-Alkali Plant Donates Bleach to Local Communities
In early March, the team at Formosa Plastics in Point Comfort, Texas, had no idea they’d soon be supplying 275-gallon totes of chemical bleach to local communities. But then the pandemic hit—bringing with it shortages as companies, state and local governments, and individuals swept everything off the shelves from toilet paper to hand sanitizer.
That’s when the Chlor-Alkali team realized that their unit could supply bleach not only for the Point Comfort complex but also to the broader community. So they sprang into action.
“We realized that we make a common disinfectant—sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl),” said John Pastuck, Assistant Vice President for Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability at Formosa Plastics. “As a producer of chlorine, which is essential for manufacturing PVC, sodium hypochlorite is a relatively easy co-product to manufacture. We have been making bleach in 15.5 percent concentration for years. Thus, we changed our formula to make 6 percent, which is household ultra-strength.”
The Chlor-Alkali team reached out to the mayor of nearby Port Lavaca, who was desperately seeking bleach supplies for general disinfection of public buildings and spaces, including the hospital, courthouse, and detention center. At the same time, the team got to work filling up totes, which are conceptually like very large (and square) bottles of industrial-strength Clorox Bleach. They also coordinated with local partners to load and transport the totes.
Port Lavaca Mayor Jack Whitlow, in turn, coordinated donations—initially across a five-county area. As of April 8, however, Formosa had coordinated donations of much-needed bleach to 14 counties, with a few still to come for a total of at least 3,750 gallons of bleach delivered.
“This is a locally led effort,” said Pastuck. “We’re proud of the quick action that the Point Comfort team took to help out. And, as a company, we’re glad wherever we can find ways to help our communities get through this difficult time.”