An explosion may seem an odd concern in the midst of a raging flood, but the CEO of the Arkema chemical plant near Crosby, Texas has warned that it’s all but inevitable that materials stored on site at the plant are going to catch fire and explode.
The company evacuated remaining workers on Tuesday and Harris County ordered the evacuation of residents in a 1.5-mile radius of the plant that makes organic chemicals. …
Rowe did not disclose the volume of chemicals on the site and said it was speculative to predict how much damage the plant could sustain. He said there could be an "intense fire" that would result in significant black smoke but would not pose any "long-term harm or impact."
Some of the compounds stored at the Arkema site require refrigeration to remain stable, but the plant lost power on Sunday due to flooding. As the temperature increases, the possibility of an explosion also ramps up.
Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, who represents the district that includes the chemical plant, called the situation "very dangerous."
Despite not knowing just how large the explosion might be, the company says it’s “comfortable” with the mile and a half safety zone. The Arkema plant is located about two miles northeast of the town of Crosby, and a dozen miles from Houston. There are several homes, businesses, and ranches within the potentially dangerous area, though some were already evacuated because of the flooding.
Update
“All but inevitable” has become the “is happening.”
Two explosions have been reported at the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, located about 20 miles from Houston.
Texas hosts a large number of chemical plants, many of which are sited are sited in or near towns. In 2013, a fertilizer plant in West, Texas exploded in a blast that flattened much of the town, killed 15 people, and left behind a 93 foot crater. In 2016, the ATF determined that the explosion was a criminal act that appeared to be deliberate.
The explosion at West was small compared to the one that took place in Texas City, Texas in 1947. On that occasion, more than 2,000 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer carried on a freighter exploded in the harbor. It generated one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history and killed 581 people. It’s generally considered the worst industrial accident in American history.
Despite past disasters, Texas maintains lax regulations regarding the siting of plants.
Five days after an explosion at a fertilizer plant leveled a wide swath of this town, Gov. Rick Perry tried to woo Illinois business officials by trumpeting his state’s low taxes and limited regulations. Asked about the disaster, Mr. Perry responded that more government intervention and increased spending on safety inspections would not have prevented what has become one of the nation’s worst industrial accidents in decades.
“Through their elected officials,” he said, Texans “clearly send the message of their comfort with the amount of oversight.”
The potential for explosion at the Arkema plant is not known.
The Federal Aviation Administration has temporarily barred flights over the area near the plant because of the risk of fire or explosion.
Thursday, Aug 31, 2017 · 12:21:07 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Earlier predictions have proven accurate.
The Harris County Emergency Operations Center notified the company around 2 a.m. of explosions at the site and also reported black smoke coming from the area. …
One deputy was taken to the hospital after inhaling fumes from the chemical plant and nine others drove themselves to the hospital as a precaution, Harris County Sheriff's Office reported in a tweet.
Another nine deputies have driven themselves to the hospital after exposure to fumes. Other trucks remain on the site that have not exploded, but those are thought not to be as much of a risk in the short term.
The plant manufactures organic peroxides commonly used in everyday products like kitchen countertops, industrial paints, polystyrene cups and plates and PVC piping. The materials must be kept very cool, but refrigerators for the plant's low-temperature containers are out of commission, and backup generators were also swamped, meaning "the potential for a chemical reaction leading to a fire and/or explosion within the site confines is real," the company said.
