- The reopening of the Houston Ship Channel has been postponed due to another setback caused by flammable chemicals to seep into the water.
- More than 40 vessels — oil tankers, container ships and other crafts were trying to move south out of the channel or north toward awaiting terminals.
- Residents were urged to remain indoors after elevated levels of benzene were detected in the air.
- The chemical evaporates quickly and can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and headaches, with worse symptoms at higher levels of exposure.
According to AP News, Officials have no timetable for reopening a portion of the Houston Ship Channel, one of the busiest commercial waterways in the country.
What happened?
The reopening suffered another setback caused flammable chemicals to seep into the water near a fire-ravaged petrochemical tank farm, a Coast Guard commander said Saturday.
Coast Guard Capt. Kevin Oditt said during a news conference that work was underway to contain and absorb benzene and other contaminants after a dyke failed adjacent to the farm operated by the Intercontinental Terminals Company in Deer Park, southeast of Houston.
Vessels stranded
As of early Saturday, more than 40 vessels — oil tankers, container ships and other crafts — were either trying to move south out of the channel or north toward awaiting terminals, according to Coast Guard petty officer Kelly Parker. The channel is a critical waterway that connects oil refineries between the Port of Houston and the Gulf of Mexico.
ITC was planning Saturday to resume pumping some 20,000 barrels of product from a tank heavily damaged by the fire, which began Sunday, March 17, and was extinguished Wednesday, but flared again on two occasions. The most recent flare-up on Friday took an hour to suppress and disrupted the pumping, ITC executive Brent Weber said.
The tanks that caught fire contained components of gasoline and materials used in nail polish remover, glues and paint thinner.
Residents alarmed
Residents already alarmed by a large plume of black smoke that billowed for days from the farm were further shaken by an order Thursday to remain indoors after elevated levels of benzene were detected in the air. Schools in the region also were shuttered and waterfront parks were closed to the public as a precaution. The chemical evaporates quickly and can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and headaches, with worse symptoms at higher levels of exposure.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against ITC, saying Friday that Texas had to hold the company “accountable for the damage it has done to our environment.” The company has had a history of environmental violations, Paxton said.
Litigation pending
ITC spokeswoman Alice Richardson declined to comment on Paxton’s claims, citing the pending litigation.
Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton Jr. has spent days giving assurances that company and public officials are working in a transparent manner to provide the latest updates to anxious residents.
He told reporters, “Everything doesn’t always work the way it’s planned. Everybody out here is doing the best they can. They’re trying to address every situation to the best of their ability.”
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Source: apnews
