Harris County sues ITC over Deer Park fire

Harris County Sheriff officers control traffic near a fire at the Intercontinental Terminals Co (ITC) petrochemical storage site in City, Texas, U.S., on March 19, 2019. Photographer: Scott Dalton/Bloomberg Harris County Sheriff officers control traffic near a fire at the Intercontinental Terminals Co (ITC) petrochemical storage site in City, Texas, U.S., on March 19, 2019. Photographer: Scott Dalton/Bloomberg Photo: Scott Dalton / Bloomberg Photo: Scott Dalton / Bloomberg Image 1 of / 137 Caption Close Harris County sues ITC over Deer Park fire 1 / 137 Back to Gallery

Harris County has sued Intercontinental Terminals Co. for failing to prevent a massive chemical fire that burned for more than 60 hours last week and spewed an unknown volume of hazardous chemicals into the air and nearby waterways.

The county is seeking a temporary injunction and restraining order against the company, alleging that it violated the Texas Clean Air Act and the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act, among other rules.

The lawsuit accuses ITC of violating the state’s water code, health and safety code and administrative code on multiple days, by “causing suffering or allowing the discharge of at least one air contaminant without a permit and in such concentration and or such duration as to be injurious to human health, welfare or property, or as to interfere with the normal use and enjoyment of property.”

An ITC spokesperson declined to comment on the suit.

At their first meeting since the blaze began March 17, the commissioners court members authorized the county attorney to file the suit and promised to hold the petroleum product storage company accountable for the Deer Park fire. First Assistant County Attorney Robert Soard said his office will hire an in-house auditor to review ITC’s actions during and after the fire.

Soard also said Harris County will demand ITC cover the cost of the government’s response, which included frequent air and water monitoring, mobile clinics sponsored by the health department and an ongoing activation of the county’s Office of Emergency Management.

The county attorney’s investigation is separate from a probe already started by the Harris County Fire Marshal’s office, and a second underway by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.

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