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Residents Near Fire Raging at Texas Chemical Plant Raise Health Concerns

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Fire in Texas raging at chemical plant, nearby residents concerned for health - CBS News

cbsnews.com - by Janet Shamlian - March 19, 2019

A chemical plant near Houston has been burning since Sunday morning . . .

. . . The plant owner, Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC), said while the fire looks ominous, no one is in danger. ITC spokesman David Wascome said they continue to monitor air quality . . .

. . . Jorge Guerra, who lives three miles away, doesn't believe it.

(CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

 

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Resources for public health and environmental monitoring in the Deer Park, TX region are listed below . . .

TCEQ air monitoring station (HouDeerPrk2) - Benzene - March 17 until early on March 19 when the wind was expected to shift away.
https://www.tceq.texas.gov/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/agc_monthly_summary.pl

TCEQ - Air Monitoring - CAMS 35 - HouDeerPrk2 - March 17, 2019 - March 19, 2019
https://www.tceq.texas.gov/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/monthly_summary.pl

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is deploying 20 air-quality monitors at the request of the City of Houston.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-texas-energy-houston-fire/firefighters-contain-petrochemical-blaze-texas-expands-air-monitoring-idUSKCN1R01LO

 

khou.com - by Doug Delony - March 20, 2019

Firefighters have extinguished the tank farm fire that sent a plume of smoke over Houston for three days. At this time many schools are still scheduled to be closed today . . .

. . . The fire was officially out as of 3 a.m. Wednesday, according to ITC.

https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/itc-deer-park-all-tank-fires-have-been-extinguished/285-768c1084-e828-492b-b187-8264f1db676d

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CLICK HERE - Dwight Williams - Williams Fire and Hazard Control - Extinguishment of the ITC Fire

CLICK HERE - Williams Fire and Hazard Control

CLICK HERE - BACKGROUND - Dwight Williams - Williams Fire and Hazard Control (Mauriceville - Orange County, Texas) - Boots & Coots - Red Adair

 

CLICK HERE - Chemical release leads to shelter-in-place near ITC in Deer Park after dike wall partially collapses - March 22, 2019

CLICK HERE - New fire erupts at Deer Park plant as leaking toxins close Ship Channel - March 22, 2019

CLICK HERE - Spill at ITC in Deer Park closes 7-mile stretch of Houston Ship Channel - March 22, 2019

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Update - ITC/Deer Park Shelter-in-Place - March 21, 2019

Ready Harris Alert - "We have identified benzene vapor coming from the site of the fire."
https://www.readyharris.org/News-Alert/Ready-Harris-Alerts/update-itcdeer-park-shelter-in-place

CLICK HERE - UPDATES - https://www.readyharris.org (click on the link and scroll down for updates)

TCEQ air monitoring station (HouDeerPrk2) - Benzene
https://www.tceq.texas.gov/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/agc_monthly_summary.pl

CLICK HERE - Deer Park Fire - https://www.readyharris.org/Deer-Park-Fire

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CLICK HERE - ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry) - Toxic Substances Portal - Medical Management Guidelines for Benzene

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click2houston.com - by Aaron Barker - March 20, 2019

DEER PARK, Texas - Shell Deer Park lifted a shelter-in-place order for parts of the facility over concerns about benzene that has been detected.

Company officials said in a written statement that the levels of the gas were below federal exposure limits but reached the company’s level that requires a shelter-in-place.

The company lifted the shelter-in-place around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

(CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

ALSO SEE RELATED INFORMATION WITHIN THE LINKS BELOW . . . 

CLICK HERE - Shell facility in Deer Park under shelter-in-place order

CLICK HERE - East Harris County Manufacturers Association - Community Awareness Emergency Response (CAER) - CAER Online

 

khou.com - by Jeremy Rogalski - October 30, 2019

A Deer Park chemical storage facility was not equipped with gas detection alarms or emergency shutoff valves that could have isolated a raging fire in March, according to a new report by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.

The CSB preliminary investigation revealed that the Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) was unable to stop the release of naptha, a flammable liquid used as a blend stock for production of gasoline, from an 80,000-barrel above-ground storage tank. While the federal report did not conclude what originally sparked the fire that intensified and spread to additional tanks, it did provide a detailed timeline of what led up to the massive blaze:

CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE - ITC chemical facility did not have gas alarms or shutoff valves when massive fire erupted

 

howdy folks