(ICIS) -- Louisiana chemical plants along the Mississippi river have started pre-shipping material in anticipation of high water, said Dan Borne, president of the Louisiana Chemical Association. If the river gets too high, it could prevent plants from receiving raw materials and from shipping out product, Borne said.
Some plants could rely on railroads or trucks for shipments, he said. But others deal in such large volumes that shipping costs could rise tremendously.
Plants could store some of their product in warehouses until water levels fall, Borne said. But that will depend on both the amount of on-site storage and the type of the chemical being produced.
Rising waters could also cover up pipes from which plants discharge effluent, Borne said. That also could disrupt operations. Borne could not quantify the extent of the disruptions since each of the plants are so different, he said.
A source with Cornerstone Chemicals reported that its 60 KTa melamine plant in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, was ⌠high and dry and there were no plans for a shutdown. Meanwhile, the US is taking steps to take pressure off the river.