Deer Park News: 2 dead, 35 injured in hydrogen sulfide leak at Texas Pemex refinery facility; shelter in place raised

DEER PARK, Texas – Authorities confirmed that two people were killed and at least 35 were injured after a chemical leak at a Texas facility on Thursday night.

Employees at the Pemex facility in Deer Park, Texas, told ABC Houston affiliate KTRK at about 6:18 p.m. that they were “dealing with an emergency” that began at 4:40 p.m., according to a statement released hours later.

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The chemical, hydrogen sulfide, is a colorless gas known for its pungent “rotten egg” odor in low concentrations. It is extremely flammable and highly toxic and can cause mild headaches, eye irritation, unconsciousness and death – even at low concentrations.

At a press conference Thursday night, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said authorities are working to determine if there are more deaths.

WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE

KTRK saw several ambulances responding and two Life Flight helicopters on standby. The KTRK helicopter was over the active scene as Harris County, Texas, hazardous materials response teams worked.

Officials in Pasadena, Texas and Deer Park lifted the city’s shelter-in-place orders after Harris County Pollution Control completed air monitoring in the area and detected no more dangerous chemicals in the air.

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Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo shared the following statement:
“I am aware of the chemical leak at the Pemex plant in Deer Park. At this time, there are reports of at least one fatality and several injuries at the plant, and my heart goes out to their families and loved ones. The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office and Pollution Control Services are on scene to assist and monitor the air. & Emergency Management is available for any additional assistance requested. Our primary concern is to ensure that the leak is stopped and that the leaked materials do not affect county residents. We will send further updates as we receive them.”

Pemex is a refinery that processes crude oil from several countries. They produce a range of products including gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel and ship fuel.

An hour and a half after reporting the emergency, Pemex officials released the following statement:

“PEMEX Deer Park confirms that a gas release was reported at one of our operating units at 4:40 p.m. The incident is contained to our site and has been isolated. Members of our Emergency Response Team, Channel Industrial Mutual Aid (CIMA) and Harris County Emergency Management personnel and other government agencies are on scene and responding to the situation.

Our main concerns are ensuring the safety of everyone involved and protecting the facilities. As a precaution, State Highway 225 was temporarily closed. Some community members may feel flames as we safely contain the situation. We are closely monitoring air quality and have not detected any external impacts. We have no additional details at this time. We will provide an update when more information is known.”

Visit the Pamex website to read the company’s statement in Spanish regarding the release of the chemical.