Arkema plant under criminal investigation by Harris County DA’s office

The Arkema chemical plant — already facing multiple lawsuits over explosions of a volatile chemical in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey — is under criminal investigation by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, officials confirmed Friday. less The Arkema chemical plant — already facing multiple lawsuits over explosions of a volatile chemical in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey — is under criminal investigation by the Harris County District ... more Photo: Scott Olson /Getty Images Photo: Scott Olson /Getty Images Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Arkema plant under criminal investigation by Harris County DA’s office 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

The Arkema chemical plant — already facing multiple lawsuits over explosions of a volatile chemical in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey — is under criminal investigation by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, officials confirmed Friday.

The Arkema plant in Crosby was inundated with 6 feet of water that wiped out its power and generators, leading to cooling failure that caused volatile organic peroxides to explode multiple times over a week.

The explosions sent pillars of fire and thick plumes of black smoke shooting up into the air. A 1.5-mile evacuation area sent residents fleeing, and more than a half-dozen first responders were sickened.

“Companies should be on notice that we care when they pollute our air, our water, our environment,” DA Kim Ogg said Friday in a written statement. “We are looking into exactly what happened at the plant. We are gathering facts and we will apply the law. Arkema is under criminal investigation.”

Arkema has already been hit with at least one lawsuit claiming first responders were left vomiting and gasping for breath after being overcome by fumes from the explosion.

The suit accuses Arkema of lacking proper procedures for keeping the chemicals cooled and failing to prepare for a major flood. It seeks at least $1 million.

Arkema has declined to comment on the lawsuit, but has repeatedly said the explosions did not pose a safety concern if residents stayed out of the evacuation area.

The company, however, has declined to provide details of its chemical inventories.

Harris County commissioners have also authorized the county to file a lawsuit against the company. The county’s Pollution Control Services Department found serious violations of the Clean Air Act by Arkema, County Attorney Vince Ryan has said.