About 1 million gallons of sulfuric acid leaked from a storage facility in Harris County, Texas over the weekend.
In a news conference over the weekend, County Judge Hidalgo stated Saturday that the “incident is still ongoing” but has been contained.
The incident occurred after a walkway structure above the sulphuric containers collapsed, rupturing a pipeline and causing “a million gallons” to leak from the tanks.
Officials from local authorities shared their collective experiences, noting similarities in the timing of the incident and their responses.
The head of Channelview’s fire department stated that the five people who were initially affected by the spill were downwind from the incident. Out of those five, two were transported to the hospital, while the other three refused. The other 38 people affected were on neighboring ships but none opted to be hospitalized.
Environmental tests have begun, with one air quality evaluation reading very poorly. However, the test was designated an error, and subsequent tests indicated that there were no significant environmental impacts yet. Officials claim that the sulfuric acid has diluted within the water, with some evaporating into the air.
As of right now, the docks in Jacinto port and its surrounding areas are the only ones being contained. The Houston ship channel will remain open.
The storage facility’s officials say that they are working alongside state officials to “mitigate” the environmental impacts. The company’s Vice President of HR states that the spill was “localized” and all employees are “accounted for and safe”.
Investigators will designate if the spill is an environmental hazard and determine the true extent of the incident. Although officials state that air levels are normal and that no dead fish have been sighted, the actual implications for the surrounding communities have yet to be determined.
