Houston cosmetic company charged with dumping 100 gallons of coconut lotion into White Oak Bayou
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Houston-based business is being charged with pollution after being accused of dumping 100 gallons of coconut lotion into White Oak Bayou.
According to court documents, Immacule Lab Corporation, located along Fairbanks North Houston Road, is facing a felony charge of water pollution. The office of Harris County Constable Pct. 1 said it was brought to their attention by area residents.
One of those residents is Jeff Blackwell, who is also the director of Harris County MUD 23.
He gave ABC13 pictures of what he saw back in May. Photos show a murky, white substance flowing down White Oak Bayou, which investigators determined was coconut lotion. Blackwell said he noticed the discharge back in May and says he and other residents reported it to the constable's office.
According to court documents, the constable's office conducted an investigation with the help of MUD 23.
After seeing pictures of the discharge and obtaining samples, investigators contacted Bin Liang, who manages Immacule Beauty, near the site where the discharge was found. Those court documents went on to say that they saw the same discharge substance inside the facility. Investigators say Liang admitted to discharging what he called a "bad batch" of the coconut lotion on April 15, and after providing a chemical makeup of the lotion to investigators, they say it qualifies as a pollutant under the Texas water code. Blackwell, who is a longtime resident, says the incident has left him stunned.
"I stopped. I mean, it really. I've never seen the water like that. In my many years of living here since 1986," Blackwell said.
ABC13 stopped by Immacule Beauty, but the business did not want to comment.
Court documents also said that, according to a criminal investigator with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the business did not have any permits for discharging any substance.
The Constable's office says the maximum punishment for the crime is 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
"Enforcing pollution laws countywide is one of several unique responsibilities of our agency," Harris County Constable Precinct One Alan Rosen said. "We carry out this special assignment to protect not only the residents of the county, but also its environment, which is so crucial to everyone."
Chemicals in the product killed nearby plants and are harmful to animals, according to investigators.
