Benzene leak limited to one tank at ITC facility

DEER PARK, Texas (KTRK) -- ITC's tank 80-7 was just one of the tanks to catch fire. When it did, it was packed with a possible 4.4 million gallons of pyrolysis gas, a fuel blend containing benzene, xylene and toluene, among other compounds.

ITC says the roof of the tank collapsed during the fire, leaving the 'pygas' exposed to the elements. Early Thursday morning, long after the fire was out, there were at least 2.2 million gallons left in the tank.

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Firefighters have been spraying foam all over the area since Sunday, but at some point Thursday morning, wind at the site of the fire blew enough of the foam around to allow some of the benzene to escape.

The company is trying to remove the remaining pygas from tank 80-7. Until that happens, the company can't guarantee another leak won't happen. There is no timeline for removing all of the material.

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