Harris County Suing Arkema Over Chemical Releases

HOUSTON, TX — Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan received approval from the Harris County Commissioners Court to file a lawsuit against the owners of the Arkema Chemical Plant in Crosby.

The plant, which sustained substantial flooding during Hurricane Harvey, lost power, causing the chemicals inside the to heat up and eventually ignite.(Want to get daily news updates and other events going on in your area? Sign up for the free Humble-Kingwood Patch morning newsletter.)

The chemicals inside the plant, known as organic peroxides, sent plumes of smoke over Crosby that forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents, and sent several Harris County Sheriff’s deputies to the emergency room after they became ill from the smoke and fumes.

RELATED: First Responders Sue Arkema For Gross Negligence

Seven first responders who were at the plant when the fires began on Aug. 31 filed a lawsuit against Arkema

Afterward, officials from the Harris County Pollution Control Services and the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office conducted an investigation and found that Arkema violated the Texas Clean Air Act, KIAH reported.

Ryan is seeking to recover the costs of responding to the fire, and plans to ask the court to review Arkema’s emergency preparedness planning and environmental practices, KPRC reported.

Image:CROSBY, TX - SEPTEMBER 04: The Arkema plant received major damage from flooding caused by Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey on September 4, 2017 in Crosby, Texas. Today authorities lifted an evacuation order for a 1.5-mile perimeter around the facility which was put in place after the storm knocked out power, back-up generators and a nitrogen cooling system used to cool highly-volatile organic peroxides which the company warned would explode if they were not kept cool. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi August 25, dumped nearly 50 inches of rain causing widespread flooding in Southeast Texas. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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