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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW 'Mitigation banking' ... The El Niño effect ... Our View: Legislature left unfinished business on ethics ... 'Mitigation banking' ... The El Niño effect ... Our View: Legislature left unfinished business on ethics ... Early-morning gas leak safely contained at White City plant Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 18, 2015 at 11:48 AM Updated Mar 18, 2015 at 3:27 PM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 18, 2015 at 11:48 AM Updated Mar 18, 2015 at 3:27 PM » Social News No one reportedly was injured this morning when a toxic and potentially deadly gas leaked inside a White City industrial plant, where company officials said it was contained and cleaned without posing an environmental hazard. The leak of boron trichloride occurred about 3 a.m. at Linde Electronics & Specialty Gases, 470 W. Antelope Road. The release occurred inside a monitored enclosure where it was vented to a "scrubber" that neutralized the gas, and the entire operation was monitored with sensors, Linde said Wednesday in a statement. "Any leak of a hazardous material is captured in that safety hood and neutralized," Linde spokeswoman Amy Ficon told the Mail Tribune. As part of its protocols, Linde notified Jackson County Fire District 3 crews as well as sheriff's deputies, who also had medical crews on stand-by and closed a portion of West Antelope Road, according to the sheriff's department. Deputies also required employees at nearby Amy's Kitchen to remain inside their plant, the sheriff's department said. The plant and fire district followed response procedures on which they've been training together for years, fire district spokesman Don Hickman said. "They have so many safety mechanisms in place that it's very comforting to us," Hickman said. Linde engineers at the scene deemed a white cloud observed over the area to be inert gas that had passed through the facility's air scrubbers, according to fire officials. No illnesses or injuries were immediately reported, deputies said. Linde reported the leak to the state Department of Environmental Quality, which will require Linde to provide a written report of what happened but nothing else because there was no release to the atmosphere, DEQ natural resources specialist Wayne Kauzlarich said. There was no significant damage reported to the plant, which has been in place there since 1988 and employs about 45 people, according to Linde. Normal regular operations were resumed later that morning, and Linde officials were still investigating the cause of the leak late Wednesday, Ficon said. Boron trichloride is packaged at the White City plant for sale, chiefly for use in plasma etching by semi-conductor makers, Ficon said. Boron trichloride is a colorless gas with a sharp odor and is heavier than air, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its fumes are toxic and corrosive, and the gas reacts violently with water but is not flammable, according to the CDC. Exposure can cause burning to eyes and skin, with high exposures possibly leading to seizures, convulsion, coma and even death, according to the CDC. Health effects from exposure can be delayed, according to the CDC. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman . By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 18, 2015 at 11:48 AM Updated Mar 18, 2015 at 3:27 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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