Dow Chemical Co.

Dow Chemical says the air quality at a plant in Louisiana is safe following a July 14 explosion, but nearby residents remain skeptical based on past incidents.

Water sampling after the recent explosion and fire at the Dow Chemical facility in Plaquemine found elevated levels of the hazardous compound ethylene oxide. But when the same sample was tested at a separate lab, it showed virtually no contamination, according to a preliminary incident report from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.

Limited details have been released following a series of explosions and a fire at one of Louisiana’s largest petrochemical complexes on Friday. Dow Chemical Company has yet to provide an explanation as of Monday, upsetting environmental advocates, after the incident rocked homes in Iberville Parish and Baton Rouge.

Dow Chemical Co. has successfully restarted its St. Charles Olefins 2 Plant near Hahnville after three years of inactivity.The Advocate reports the plant…