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The Newburyport biomanufacturing plant that exploded early today and sent four people to the hospital has a history of safety and environmental law violations.

Four people were treated and released and a fifth is still missing following the 12:45 a.m. explosion at the PCI Synthesis/Seqens plant at 9 Opportunity Way. The blast ripped the roof off a wing at the 32,000-square-foot building, sending an industrial vat more than 30 feet into the parking lot.

It was the third fire or explosion at the property since 2020.

Polycarbon Industries Inc., known as PCI, was acquired in 2017 by Seqens, a $1.2 billion French corporation that makes ingredients used in manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, including COVID-19 vaccines.

In 2015, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined PCI $4,950 for a “serious” violation later reduced to $2,970, according to a Newburyport Daily News report.

In 2019, the company paid a $200,000 fine for hazardous waste law violations.

In June 2021, the Newburyport fire department temporarily suspended the plant’s safety permits following a fire. And in February 2020, explosions ripped a hole in the facility roof, the Daily News reported. No one was hurt in either incident.

Seqens did not respond to requests for comment today.

In January, MassDevelopment officials joined Seqens for a grand opening ceremony for its new R&D facility at Devens, the state-owned business park. The new facility will employ approximately 40 researchers.

“Massachusetts is the most dynamic state in the world in drug discovery, and we are in a business where proximity is very important to our customers,” CEO Pierre Luzeau said at the time.