Yes, McConnell's message was focused primarily on the EPA's regulation of the coal industry and how such regulation might increase energy prices, which might, in turn, impact Westlake Chemical. I don't pretend to know what his campaign was thinking, but I would imagine he and his staff were thinking an anti-EPA message might resonate with those in the chemical industry, and not just because of energy costs, but because part of the EPA's job is to impose regulations on the chemical industry as well as the coal industry.

Unfortunately for McConnell, bashing the EPA and environmental regulation at Westlake might not have been the best choice and reminder to western Kentuckians, as Westlake has been the cause of multiple "shelter in place" warnings in Livingston County over the last decade.

Westlake Chemical is an international vinyl products producing corporation with 16 locations in North America, one in China and several in Europe. Its headquarters are in Texas.

In 2003, Livingston County began installing sirens throughout the county to be used to warn "county residents in cases of severe weather or other civil emergencies." The catalyst for this action? A civil emergency:

January, 2003; An explosion and fire at Westlake Monomers caused a large scale release into the atmosphere which resulted in a vapor cloud spreading over portions of Livingston County.

A fire at the Westlake Vinyls Corporation facility in Calvert City, KY occurred at approximately 5:15 p.m. on Thursday, January 22, 2004. The fire was located in the plant's ethylene unit centered near the acetylene reactor.

The fire has been contained and is under control and will further diminish over the next few hours as all fuel sources are eliminated. One maintenance employee sustained minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment and has since been released.

August 16, 2005; Several thousand pounds of various chemicals were released due to a ruptured pipe in the early morning hours. The leak was contained by Westlake Monomers personnel about an hour later.

The substance escaping was a combination of vinyl chloride monomer, hydrochloric acid and a compound called "ethylene dichloride."

... they had an explosion (compressor spark) and released enough vinyl chloride and hydrochloric acid to kill birds downwind in the county across the river (Livingstone County, KY) and causing Pope County High School (across another river) to shelter in place for safety.

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED

SHELTER IN PLACE WARNING

LIVINGSTON COUNTY KENTUCKY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY

1211 PM CDT TUE OCT 7 2008 THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE

LIVINGSTON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. THE EMERGENCY MANAGER HAS REQUESTED PEOPLE SHELTER IN PLACE IN THE

FOLLOWING AREAS BETWEEN...THE INTERCHANGE OF HIGHWAY 60 AND 937

THROUGH THE INTERSECTION OF 453 AND JAKE DUKES ROAD IN LIVINGSTON

COUNTY. THE SHELTER IN PLACE WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL

100 PM CDT. THIS IS DUE TO A CHEMICAL RELEASE FROM A CALVERT CITY CHEMICAL PLANT. BRENT STRINGER

LIVINGSTON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER

A year later, in Jan 2004, there was a fire at the plant The Livingston Co. sirens were put to use again in 2005An small account of that incident can be found here , and indicates:My own source (a KY resident and chemist who wishes to remain anonymous) in the area notes on this incident,On Oct. 7, 2008, NOAA issued the following shelter in place warning:In 2008, Westlake was also noteworthy for having been the top emitter of vinyl chloride in the country . To be fair, this was not for emissions at its Calvert City plant, but rather for a 67,452 pound release from its Geismar, LA one.

You can donate to Alison Lundergan Grimes campaign here, and if you're a resident of KY, VOTE for her on Nov. 4.