More than eight years after the tragedy, DuPont Insecticide Plant admitted that their negligence led to the employees' deaths. Meanwhile, an untold number of people were breathing benzene fumes without protection. Read On; View All /Calendar.aspx. Hosted by Investigative Reporter Joel Eisenbaum and Reporter Rilwan Balogun - KPRC 2 is decoding the legalese, breaking down the arguments, and taking you inside the third murder trial of AJ Armstrong, Brittany Taylor, Digital Content Producer. April 27, 20235 AM Central. However, the order was lifted at around 10:50 a.m. that same morning, according to reports. It was a very challenging, very dangerous situation, Royall, who is now retired, recalled. At this time. 26 MILES EAST OF HOUSTON, FOLKS TOLD TO TURN A/C OFF CLOSE DOORS, AND WINDOWS!! Find the best Pets in La Porte, TX. The disaster also exposed confusion over who should be responsible for telling residents to shelter in place during a chemical release. By Wednesday afternoon, four days after the ITC plant ignited, federal, state and local officials hosted a press conference to announce the fire was finally out. Guevara remembers playing his accordion as a black cloud from the chemical fire could be seen from their home. The wind was blowing the smoke toward his own home. Flag Property Share. Contreras became so ill after attending an outdoor funeral service the week of the ITC fire that she sought care at an emergency room. I try not to think about it, because when I do think about it, my heart feels it, Ochoa said. "Do you have anything that you can cover up with? she asks family and coworkers whenever she spots what might be dangerous. Secretary. Do you value our journalism? But the foam ripped apart with each big gust of wind and quickly dissolved on the hot chemicals like whipped cream melting on hot coffee. Update - 12:00 PM Thursday from Dow Houston Operations: pic.twitter.com/ot1yDLJg07. Data from TCEQs stationary and handheld monitors also indicated elevated benzene concentrations near the same times and locations as the EPAs mobile lab. Officials released a tweet Wednesday morning and will update the media as more information. Located at 13300 Bay Area Blvd, the facility employs 225 workers and 150 contractors according to their website. Durant, the EPA spokesperson, characterized such spikes as instantaneous measurements in industrial areas that would not have prompted notification to local officials. At 8:40 a.m . The first lasted 18 hours immediately after the fire broke out, and the second came three days later when air monitoring detected extremely high levels of benzene an invisible, sweet-smelling hydrocarbon often found in crude oil and cigarettes. Deer Park resident Eddie Guevara, 19, was working a Sunday shift at a chemical plant in La Porte, a town just east of Deer Park, the day the ITC fire broke out. VIDEO: On March 17, 2019, a group of massive chemical tanks caught fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company in Harris County, releasing large amounts of benzene, a known human carcinogen, into the air. Stay Connected. Harris. Climbing benzene concentrations near the facility led the EPA and TCEQ to send inspectors into Deer Park, where they found benzene was drifting through neighborhoods near where Eddie Guevara and his family of five live. Throughout the response, a plane brought in by the EPA flew above the fire and the plume, monitoring the air and providing eyes from above, while TCEQ and Harris County employees on the ground recorded benzene levels on hand-held air monitors, in addition to CTEHs monitoring efforts for the city and company. Even if I didn't want to, I had to.". The Texas Tribunes investigation shows that benzene levels rose to potentially dangerous levels for weeks after the fire was extinguished. Remember, many of the plants in our area test their individual alarm systems each week. The data needs to be available to the public with some kind of interpretation.. In 2020, the city created its own benzene guidelines that are far lower than what was used during the ITC incident: The guidelines say officials should consider a shelter-in-place advisory if benzene levels exceed 72 parts per billion over one hour and evacuations if the level hits 200 parts per billion for an hour. As officials declared victory, Mario Ochoas mother could hardly breathe. First: Eddie Guevara laughs with friends during his son Xaviers birthday party on Feb. 11 in Pasadena. We are actively working to resolve this matter, including working with local authorities to keep them advised. Churchill Place 1201 S Broadway St in La Porte, TX. No shelter-in-place advisory was issued for Channelview residents. Toxic Benzene Lingered for Weeks After Shelter-in-Place Warnings Ended The same happened in La Porte, Texas, where a Hydrogen Sulphide leaked from a plant taking many lives. A massive 2005 explosion at a BP refinery in Texas City, about 35 miles to the south next to Galveston Bay, killed 15 workers and injured nearly 200 others. I would definitely say that [people nearby] have an increased risk, said Zhang. Lubrizol Texas Facilities have been manufacturing highly specialized chemical products and services for a variety of applications in Deer Park since 1951, according to their website. Below are our newest added Husky Corgi Mixes available for adoption in Webster, Texas. Early Wednesday, views from Air 11 showed several tanker trailers getting sprayed by firefighters. Clute, TX (77531) Today. Bob Royall, then-assistant chief for the Harris County Fire Marshals Office, said it was one of the longest fires that he had battled in his almost five-decade career. It just imploded on itself and went down in a matter of seconds.. Day of news on the map - , 26 2023 - . Mary Ann Conteras, a 58-year-old assistant director at Rosewood Funeral Home, noticed the black dust accumulating on her vans windshield as she drove flowers to a Pasadena cemetery seven miles from the ITC facility. ATTN. La Porte residents: - Harris County Precinct 2 - Facebook La Porte, Texas has issued a shelter-in-place order and an evacuation after a chemical incident. Thats when he first saw the smoke coming from the ITC tank farm. 69K views, 195 likes, 43 loves, 572 comments, 418 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from ABC13 Houston: SkyEye flew over the La Porte area where an incident at a facility prompted a shelter-in-place. 929 PM CDT . The. All but two residents have been evacuated. Im very proud to stand here as mayor and recognize all of the officials and volunteers who waited in line to take their turn to fight for our community, Mouton said. We care a lot. David Janda - President. If you hear an alarm that does not sound like the Citys siren system, refer to the Plant Alarm Test Schedule to see if a test is being conducted in your area. First: The Houston Ship Channel winds past the ITC facility in Harris County. LA PORTE, Texas The all-clear has been given after a shelter-in-place order had been in place for La Porte about 8 p.m. Sunday. She then watched as the smoke plume settled above the mourning family during the funeral service.