Flood Wall Now Stands At 32 Feet

Ahead of schedule and millions of dollars under budget, DuPont has completed a project aimed at protecting its DeLisle titanium dioxide plant from hurricanes. The plant was badly damaged last year after experiencing a direct hit from Hurricane Katrina.

The site resumed manufacturing operations in January. DuPont announced in April that it would spend $15 to 20 million to top the plant’s existing 20-foot earthen levee with a 10-foot flood wall.

“We decided to add more protection and increase the level of safety by adding 12 feet, rather than 10, to the existing levee that works in tandem with our other pre-existing berms,” said DeLisle Plant Manager Pat Nichols. “Katrina taught us that no amount of preparation is a guarantee, but we think this project goes a long way toward protecting our employees, customers and investors from the effects of future storms. Also, this plant is an integral part of the economy of nearby communities and the Gulf Coast, so we feel a responsibility to do all we can to protect it.”

The enhanced levee/flood wall stands 32 feet tall. Construction of the so-called “sheet pile” wall required nearly 30 miles of steel; 4,000 sheets, each measuring 27 inches wide and 38 feet long. Some 286 truckloads of the material, weighing eight million pounds, were delivered to the site. The sheets were driven vertically into the ground until the desired height was achieved.

Construction began May 22 and was largely completed during the second week of July.  A few complementary projects are in progress. The total cost of the work is expected to be between $10 and 15 million.

Now fully operational after months of intensive reconstruction, the titanium dioxide plant is running at near-capacity rates. Stringent DuPont construction and engineering standards helped the site avoid substantial structural damage and its environmental systems remained intact during the storm’s assault. However, most of its electronic and computer systems were destroyed.

The site’s environmental performance during the hurricane has been validated by four published regulatory reports by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality as well as the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

When the DeLisle site was constructed in 1974, the storm surge caused by Hurricane Camille in 1969 was the standard upon which storm protection measures were based. Hurricane Katrina’s historic storm surge proved the case for an additional margin of safety at DeLisle.

Titanium dioxide is a white pigment used widely in the paper, plastics and coatings businesses. DuPont is the world’s largest manufacturer of the pigment, serving customers globally in the coatings, paper and plastics industries. The company recently announced plans to build a world-scale Ti02 manufacturing plant at Dongying, China, that is expected to commence operations in 2010.  DuPont currently operates plants at DeLisle, Miss.; New Johnsonville, Tenn.; Edge Moor, Del.; Altamira, Mexico; Uberaba, Brazil, and; Kuan Yin, Taiwan. Technical service centers are located in Uberaba; Mechelen, Belgium; Kuan Yin; Wilmington, Del.; and Shanghai, China, to serve the European, Middle Eastern, U.S. and Asian markets.

DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.