Energy Transfer waits hours before providing statement on pipeline fire
DEER PARK, Texas (KTRK) -- A natural gas liquid pipeline owned by Energy Transfer caught fire Monday in Deer Park, causing about 50 homes in nearby La Porte to evacuate as the blaze continued into the afternoon.
About three hours after the fire broke out, Energy Transfer issued a statement saying early reports indicated "an unknown passenger car entered our right-of-way and struck" a valve.
The company said no one was injured in the fire, which occurred at a valve station for a 20-inch-wide pipeline carrying natural gas liquids along Spencer Highway and East Meadow Drive.
"The line has been isolated so that the residual product in the line can safely burn itself out. We have no timeline at this point on how long that process will take, but we are working closely with local authorities," Energy Transfer said in a statement Monday afternoon. "Air monitoring equipment is in the process of being set up in the area."
ORIGINAL STORY: Deer Park pipeline fire will take hours to burn out, possibly stretching into Tuesday, officials say
The Railroad Commission of Texas, which, despite its name, is the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, said its pipeline safety inspectors are investigating the incident.
"Energy Transfer has shut down the portion of the pipeline that caught fire. RRC inspectors will work with state and local emergency responders at the scene," the commission said in a statement. "The fire occurred in a pipeline corridor, and the RRC is notifying other pipeline operators in the corridor of the incident and getting information on measures they are taking to ensure safety of their systems."
Dallas-based Energy Transfer's website says it is "one of the largest and most diversified midstream energy companies in North America with more than 125,000 miles of pipelines and associated energy infrastructure in 44 states."
ABC13 asked Energy Transfer how long the pipeline from Monday's fire runs and is waiting for an answer.
The last time we heard of an Energy Transfer pipeline fire in our area was in 2022, when a blaze broke out in Wallis, just west of Fort Bend County. The blast caused no injuries.
13 Investigates looked into the company's history using local, state, and federal records. We found that Energy Transfer was fined more than $14,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for a 2022 incident in Louisiana in which the company did not make its workplace free of hazards.
We found no notable records from the Railroad Commission's past inspections of Energy Transfer pipelines.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which regulates emissions and air quality, has not cited the company with any previous violations related to fires.
In the meantime, Energy Transfer is encouraging anyone who was evacuated and/or impacted by the pipeline fire and need assistance to call 855-430-4491. An operator will ask for your name, phone number, address and what assistance you need. All phone calls will be returned promptly, the company said.
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