Arkema to cut 154 jobs in France

The chemical maker Arkema will stop producing chlorine, methyl chloride, and technical fluids in Jarrie, France. The facility will continue to make hydrogen peroxide, chlorate, and perchlorate salts. The site uses a specific salt supplied by the nearby isocyanate maker Vencorex, a subsidiary of PTT Global Chemical. Vencorex went into receivership this past fall, and according to published reports, as few as 25 of the firm’s 450 employees will keep their jobs. The closures at Arkema will mean the area’s chemical industry loses another 154 jobs.