Carus Chemical’s (Carus LLC) primary product, potassium permanganate, is best known as a chemical for treating municipal drinking water. It was originally made for use in explosives during WWI, and it is used in mining, fracking, and refining crude oil. Illicit drug manufacturers also make cocaine with it.
The company also produces phosphates and has current contracts with the Department of Defense. It is protected from FOIA laws as a chemical weapons manufacturer under Executive Order 2023-03 signed by Illinois Governor Pritzker in March 2023, shortly after the Carus chemical factory warehouse started on fire and rained chemicals onto the town of LaSalle, Illinois.
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Jeremy Aitken, Starved Rock Media, Mar 30, 2023 “The chemical company says following a comprehensive review, the root cause of the La Salle plant fire was a combination of events stemming from damaged packaging of Potassium Permanganate. A release from the company says the potassium was being transported from the warehouse to a waiting truck…
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Denise Trabbic-Pointer is a Toxic and Remediation Specialist at the Sierra Club Club Michigan Chapter. She serves as a national technical resource volunteer for communities impacted by releases of toxins to air, water and/or soil. She is a Chemical Engineer with a BS and MS in Hazardous Materials Management, an EHS professional and a Certified…
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By Paul Wheeler, Shaw Local News March 27, 2023 “Potassium permanganate. It is an oxidizer used throughout the country in the water purification process. The highlights of its classification include its ability to intensify fires and its known potential for explosion when in contact with combustible substances…. Following the Jan. 11 Carus explosion in La Salle,…
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Carus Chemicals is refusing to give the City of LaSalle the name of their insurance company after the fire and explosion that caused chemicals and heavy metals to rain on residents’ homes and yards. In response to Sierra Club’s testing of furnace filters from residents’ homes, which revealed barium, lead, copper, zinc, mercury and other heavy…
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How much toxic waste from the Carus Chemical plant in La Salle, Illinois, ends up in the Vermillion River, pictured in these photographs, right next to Carus’ wastewater lagoons? The Vermillion empties into the Illinois River just a few miles from Carus Chemicals’ LaSalle manufacturing plant. The Illinois River empties into the Mississippi River. The…
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Carus Chemicals company burst into flames on the edge of a residential neighborhood, and not one alarm can be heard. Neighbors who saw the smoke and flames didn’t know what was happening. One resident, Jamie Hicks, ran out of his house, got in his truck, and drove down the street to check on his neighbor…
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Tangled Roots is one of many companies owned by Inga Carus, CEO of Carus Chemical. Don’t be fooled by local food and craft beer at Tangled Roots in Ottawa. https://tangledrootsbrewingco.com/about-us/ CL Enterprises. the parent company of Tangled Roots and the Lone Buffalo, is owned by Inga Carus, the CEO of Carus Chemical, LLC, in LaSalle,…
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Carus Chemical is the only producer of potassium permanganate and sodium permanganate in the Western Hemisphere. This explains a lot about the lack of accountability, and the City of LaSalle bending over backwards and covering for Carus as residents became aware of illegally stored product in a crumbling building behind their homes. Because of its…
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LaSalle 4th Ward former alderman Mark Schneider gives his thoughts on the Sierra Club‘s presentation at the LaSalle City Council meeting on Monday, March 6 “Now that we have test results, not only do these air filters to show all these heavy metals, we have soil test results from a yard that was cleaned up in…
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LS Council gets tough analysis of Carus fire Monday night by: John Small, Starved Rock Media, March 7, 2023 LaSalle City Council got grim numbers about the Carus Chemical fire Monday night. At Mayor Jeff Grove’s invitation, the Sierra Club‘s MIla Kellen Marshall P.hD and Denise Trabbic-Pointer spoke to the Council about testing done immediately…
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Less than eight weeks after the Carus Chemical fire and chemical plant explosion in LaSalle, Illinois, Carus had another chemical spill,
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Below are Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for chemicals manufactured and stored at Carus Chemical’s plant in LaSalle, Illinois, and stored at the former South Towne Mall, now known as Lotz Storage, in Ottawa, Illinois.
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LaSalle 4th Ward former alderman has produced a 3rd video with his thoughts about Carus Chemical and the City of LaSalle after the Carus Chemical explosion and chemical fire. “My advice to the people running for office in LaSalle next month, it applies to newbies and currently sitting aldermen as well. People have taken note…
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Thank you for this! Well researched and it highlights the problem of making poisonous substances and the disregard the companies have for communities. Also the laughable enforcement and regulation by the EPA. How many more tragedies like this or the train derailments of toxic chemicals need to happen?
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