Chemical facilities in issued safety warning amid hurricane season: How does it affect SE Texas?

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- With hurricane season underway, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is urging chemical and petroleum facilities nationwide to prepare for storms before they arrive.

Southeast Texas is home to one of the largest concentrations of refineries, plastics plants, and chemical manufacturers in the country, making the region particularly vulnerable to disasters when storms strike.

The call for preparedness follows lessons learned from catastrophic chemical incidents, including one that happened in southeast Texas.

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During Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the Arkema plant in Crosby suffered major failures. Flooding disabled backup power and refrigeration systems, causing organic peroxide to ignite. The resulting fires led to evacuations and hospitalizations and triggered years of litigation.

Federal safety officials say many of those consequences can be prevented. The CSB has issued detailed guidance for companies that handle hazardous materials, including hurricane preparedness checklists designed to help them assess risk and take action before, during, and after a storm.

The CSB is urging facilities to secure hazardous materials, ensure backup power for safety systems, train staff on emergency protocols, and collaborate closely with local authorities to develop coordinated response plans.

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The hope is that by acting now, chemical facilities in hurricane-prone areas can help prevent the next disaster.

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