photo credit to Carus Chemical LLC https://www.carusllc.com/resources/
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Trust Us, We Wrote It Ourselves”: How Carus Chemical’s Self-Regulated Safety Sheets Endanger LaSalle
By Hicks News Investigations
August 2025 | LaSalle, Illinois
When Carus Chemical’s facility exploded on January 11, 2023, a toxic black dust rained across LaSalle. Residents were told not to worry. According to Carus, the released substance—potassium permanganate—was “non-toxic” and “harmless.” Local news repeated it. City officials nodded along. The EPA shrugged.
But that so-called harmless chemical is a Category 2 oxidizer, a known combustion catalyst, and corrosive to skin and eyes. It can spontaneously ignite in contact with fabric or wood. Ask any hazmat technician—they’ll tell you it’s no joke.
So how did this lie become the official narrative?
Simple: Carus writes its own safety sheets. And no one checks them—until people get hurt.
“The Hidden Power of a Self-Written MSDS”
Under federal law—specifically OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200)—chemical manufacturers are allowed, even expected, to write their own Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
There is no requirement that OSHA, EPA, or any regulatory body approve, audit, or fact-check these documents before they’re circulated to emergency responders or the public.
“It’s an open invitation to lie by omission,” said one retired chemist who reviewed Carus’s SDSs at our request. “And Carus is a master of it.”
What They’re Not Telling You!!
Carus markets a range of water treatment products—zinc phosphates, oxidizers, catalysts—under the guise of safe handling. Their SDSs often:
Use broad ingredient ranges (e.g., “10–30%”) to obscure real concentrations.
Label products as “not classified as hazardous” under GHS—even when they burn, corrode, or toxify.
Bury reactivity warnings in dense legalese.
Downplay chronic risks like neurotoxicity from manganese exposure, respiratory injury, and environmental persistence.
Perhaps most alarming, Carus claimed its RemOx® L oxidizer was no threat—when it is literally used in chemical soil oxidation projects for industrial cleanup. It can ignite spontaneously in the right conditions. That’s not theory—that’s documented science.
What Regulators Found
After the January 11, 2023 explosion, OSHA did inspect—and what they found confirmed that Carus’s hazard communication was as sloppy as its safety practices:
Hazard Communication Violation — Carus’s SDS for potassium permanganate was outdated and still cited NFPA 430, a standard withdrawn in 2009, instead of the current NFPA 400. OSHA ordered Carus to correct it by August 25, 2023.
Penalty: $1,128.Serious Safety Violation — Carus stored and handled a Class 2 oxidizer on combustible wood and cardboard—the exact conditions that fueled the January 11 fire.
Penalty: $14,063.
Despite these citations, there was no EPA action requiring public SDS corrections, and residents were never directly notified of the outdated hazard information.
The Unplacarded Semi Problem
The same lack of transparency extended to transportation. Multiple semi-trailers hauling Carus chemicals were documented without hazardous material placards, a direct violation of DOT hazmat rules. Without placards:
First responders have no immediate way to know what’s inside in case of an accident.
The public remains unaware of hazardous shipments moving through their neighborhoods.
These unplacarded runs occurred even after the explosion—proof that safety culture didn’t improve, it just went further underground.
City Hall’s Role
Rather than demand an independent hazard review, LaSalle’s leadership coordinated with Carus’s PR firm, Benchmark Communications, to reassure residents using Carus’s own language. Internal emails show City Clerk Brent Bader actively shaping public statements.
Council members relied on Carus-authored product summaries, and first responders received stripped-down SDSs that omitted worst-case scenarios.
If that sounds like collusion, that’s because it is.
The Result? Gaslighting LaSalle
When residents reported burning eyes, throat irritation, or darkened furnace filters, they were told:
“It’s just potassium permanganate. It’s safe.”
When Sierra Club and independent tests pointed to oxidizer contamination, the City denied responsibility.
When citizens demanded answers, they were met with FOIA denials, sealed emails, or redacted documents.
The Bigger Picture: Legalized Deception
Carus isn’t unique—this is how most U.S. chemical manufacturers operate. But the Carus-LaSalle relationship takes it to a dangerous extreme:
A city financially dependent on a chemical manufacturer.
A government that echoes its talking points.
A public kept in the dark about the real risks.
No audit. No accountability. No consequences.
When the fox writes the henhouse safety plan, don’t expect the hens to survive the fire.
MSDS photo owner by CARUS Chemical LLC https://www.carusllc.com/resources/
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