Chemical plants operated by Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries and Findlay-based Lanxess Corp. took significant hits when Hurricane Rita slammed the Gulf Coast areas of Louisiana and Texas early Saturday, forcing PPG to protect itself from retaliation for failing to fulfill contracts.

The Downtown chemicals and coating concern yesterday declared a "force majeure" at its Lake Charles, La., facility, a contract clause that protects businesses from delivering products in the event of unforeseen events such as natural disasters..

The plant, which employs about 1,400 and is located about 30 miles west of where Hurricane Rita made landfall, lost water service, electricity and telephone service after the hurricane ravaged the area about 3 a.m. Saturday.

PPG shut down the complex last week before the storm and it remained shuttered yesterday while the company attempted to restore power.

Also hard hit was a Lanxess facility in Orange, Texas. The plant sustained structural damage and flooding and remained closed yesterday as officials assessed damages and the company organized relief services for 340 employees who work there.

PPG's plant in La Porte, Texas, sustained far less damage and was preparing to resume operations, though it expected some employees might have trouble returning to work because of limited gas supplies in the state.

Other local companies with operations in the Gulf Coast reported less disruption from the hurricane.

Employees at Bayer Corp.'s facility in Baytown, Texas, were being recalled to work today. The plant, which employs 1,000 Bayer workers and 900 contract workers, suffered minimal damage, the company reported over the weekend. It maintained a 44-person crew at the site during the storm.

Nova Chemicals' Bayport, Texas, plant suffered no significant damage, said spokeswoman Stephanie Franken. Though it remained in shutdown mode yesterday, some employees had returned to work while most of the work force, which totals 150 to 160, was expected to be back on the job later this week.

Alcoa temporarily closed an alumina refinery in Port Lavaca, Texas, on Wednesday but restarted it on Friday because it was not in the hurricane's direct path.