Brazoria Co. homeowners sue Phillips 66 over flooded homes

SWEENY, Texas (KTRK) -- Homeowners in Brazoria County say Phillips 66 negligently diverted the flow of floodwaters into their homes during Harvey.

In a new lawsuit, the homeowners said the company intentionally dammed the area around the plant with concrete and boxcars, directing the flow of water into residential areas in Sweeny and nearby Magnolia.

Plaintiffs also claim the water was contaminated with chemicals from the refinery.

The homeowners are asking for cash damages.

Phillips 66 released the following statement to ABC13 regarding the lawsuit:

"Phillips 66 is committed to protecting the health and safety of the people involved in our operations and in the communities where we operate. During severe weather events like Hurricane Harvey, we have plans in place to protect our employees, our facilities and our communities. We are aware of concerns from the community suggesting that our actions to protect the refinery contributed to additional flooding in the area. We do not believe that to be the case, however, we are investigating the issue and have been working with local authorities. Although we experienced significant flooding in the refinery, our actions minimized the potential for release of feedstocks and products that could have negatively impacted the community and the environment."

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