Sumitomo Chemical hasrreleased a statement concerning the status of the company’s operations after the Japan earthquake and tsunami, confirming that none its employees are injured or missing.
At the Chiba Works ethylene plant, (Ichihara and Sodegaura cities, Chiba Prefecture), operations continue at the main facility while adjusting the load on the plant as necessary. At most of the derivatives facilities, automatic shutdown systems were activated at the time of the earthquake and emergency shutdown procedures were undertaken. The production facilities sustained no major damage. The shut-down production facilities are being brought back into operation sequentially as their safety is confirmed, and at this stage most of the production facilities have recommenced operations, according to Sumitomo.
In Misawa Works (Aomori Prefecture) emergency shutdown procedures were undertaken for all facilities at the time of the earthquake. The production facilities sustained no major damage. However, operations at the facilities were subsequently suspended because of interruption in the electrical power supply, but with resumption of electrical power, preparations are underway to recommence operations once the safety of the facilities has been confirmed.The research facility at Tsukuba Research Laboratory (Tsukuba city, Ibaraki Prefecture) sustained some minor damage but no major damage, and all workplaces other than those mentioned above continue to operate as usual, according to Sumitomo.
The financial impact of this earthquake on Sumitomo Chemical is not yet known, but any anticipated major impact will be promptly disclosed when determined.
22-Mar-11 
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