Hydrogen chloride leak at chemical plant

The Spolchemie chemical plant in the northern Czech town of Usti nad Labem has confirmed that was a leak of hydrogen chloride on Monday morning. Local residents noticed a strong smell at the time of the leak, but the plant's management says that no special safety measures were needed. They said that the leak occurred while pipes were undergoing routine repairs and was brought under control almost immediately. There have been several chemical leaks from the plant in recent years, and there has been growing pressure in the town for the more dangerous parts of the plant's production to be moved to a site more distant from residential areas.