CHANNELVIEW, Texas – Authorities said around one million gallons of sulfuric acid spilled Saturday morning from a chemical leak in Channelview, with an unknown amount of it pouring into the Houston Ship Channel.
KPRC 2 News was at the scene Saturday morning where officials are addressing the leak and how responders are conducting cleanup efforts.
Watch: Local officials deliver press conference over chemical leak
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the spill happened at a BWC Terminals facility near 16300 Jacintoport Boulevard. The first call came in around 1:40 a.m. and was reported as an explosion, but that was quickly ruled out.
Authorities learned that a catwalk collapsed and busted a 6-inch sulfuric acid supply line, affecting a 25,000-barrel storage tank containing around one million gallons of chemicals.
A BWC spokesperson later clarified that most of the chemicals spilled into a designated containment area, but an unknown amount did go into the ship channel.
KPRC 2 News reporter T.J. Parker spoke with a local worker who said people could smell the leak in the air.
Watch: Local worker describes scene
“I know this is scary for folks when you hear such a big number of gallons, and folks in the community will say ‘Have you looked at us? What’s happening to us? How is the air we are breathing doing?’” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. “I just want to assure folks in the community that we have measured and will continue to measure the quality of the air where you are.”
Authorities said they’re also monitoring how the spill will affect aquatic life, but at this time, there are no reported impacts.
There was no need for evacuations because the leak was far from residential areas. Still, authorities said they did establish a perimeter to protect nearby businesses and plant operations.
Deputies are working on traffic control around Sheldon Road and Jacintoport Boulevard, while Harris County hazmat teams, fire marshals and the Channelview Fire Department respond to the spill scene.
Federal and state officials, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Coast Guard, are also at the spill site to monitor the incident.
HCSO Major Joseph Blenderman said two people were taken to the hospital for respiratory issues. Both individuals were later released. A triage was set up to vet dozens of others off two vessels. In total, 44 people were evaluated on-site.
Authorities said the leak is contained, and cleanup will take a few more hours.
The ship channel remains open and there is no threat to the public.
See the full statement from BWC Terminals below:
At approximately 1:40 a.m., an incident occurred involving a spent sulfuric acid storage tank at BWC Terminals’ Jacintoport facility.
The incident involved a 25,000-barrel storage tank containing approximately 1 million gallons of spent sulfuric acid. The majority of this material was released into the facility’s designated containment area. However, an unknown amount of product did enter the water at the Jacintoport slip off the Houston Ship Channel, but there have been no reported impacts on marine life, and the Houston Ship Channel remains open.
Emergency response teams and regulatory authorities remain on site and are actively engaged. Continuous air monitoring is underway to ensure the safety of employees and the surrounding community. BWC Terminals is working closely with appropriate agencies to manage the situation and mitigate any potential environmental impact.
All employees at BWC Terminals are safe and accounted for. A total of 44 individuals were evaluated on-site, and two were transported to a local hospital for further evaluation and treatment; both have since been released.
The safety of our employees, local communities, and the environment remains our top priority.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation. We will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story said one million gallons of sulfuric acid poured into the Houston Ship Channel. This story has been updated after authorities later clarified only a portion of the one million went into the ship channel.
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