1 killed, several injured after chemical release reported at refinery in Deer Park, officials say
DEER PARK, Texas (KTRK) -- Deer Park is under a shelter-in-place after a hydrogen sulfide release at a Pemex facility reportedly caused one death and several injuries on Thursday evening.
Officials with the Pemex facility at 5900 Highway 225 told ABC13 at about 6:18 p.m. it was "dealing with an emergency" that began at 4:40 p.m., according to their statement issued hours later.
Authorities confirmed one fatality, one transported by Life Flight, and several others injured. However, they did not specify the number of injuries.
Eyewitness News saw a Life Flight helicopter take off from the scene. Our crews on the ground have reported seeing several ambulances responding.
Pasadena lifted its shelter-in-place order after Harris County Pollution Control completed air monitoring in the area.
Deer Park officials are still urging all residents to go inside, close all windows and doors, and turn off their air-conditioning units until an all-clear is announced.
The city said its emergency notification system is experiencing technical difficulties with CodeRED and some residents may not receive notifications.
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Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas known for its pungent "rotten egg" odor at low concentrations. It is extremely flammable and highly toxic and can cause mild headaches, eye irritation, unconsciousness, and death-- even at low concentrations.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo shared the following statement:
"I'm aware of the chemical leak at the Pemex plant in Deer Park. At this time there are reports of at least one fatality and multiple injuries at the plant, and my heart goes out to their families and loved ones. The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office and Harris County Pollution Control Services are on scene to assist and monitor the air. Our Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management is standing by for any additional help that is requested. Our primary concern is to ensure the leak has stopped and that the leaked materials are not impacting county residents. We will send more updates as we get them."
SkyEye was over the active scene while Harris County Hazmat Response crews were working.
Pemex is a refinery that processes crudes from several countries. They produce a range of products including gasoline, aviation fuel, diesel fuel, and ship fuel.
An hour and a half after reporting the emergency, Pemex officials released the following statement:
"PEMEX Deer Park confirms that a gas release was reported at one of our operating units at 4:40 p.m. The incident is contained to our site and has been isolated. Members of our Emergency Response Team, Channel Industrial Mutual Aid (CIMA) and Harris County Emergency Management personnel and other government agencies are on site and responding to the situation.
Our primary concerns are to ensure the safety of everyone involved and to secure the facility. Out of an abundance of caution, State Highway 225 has been temporarily closed. Some members of the community may see flaring as we safely contain the situation. We are closely monitoring air quality and are not detecting any offsite impacts. We have no additional details at this time. We will provide an update when more information becomes known."
Eyewitness News is continuing to gather facts on the story.
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