Toxins found in Houston Ship Channel

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) found nine toxins in the water of the Houston Ship Channel near the ITC Deer Park plant.

"TCEQ has been analyzing water quality data from the ditch leading from the facility and collected by the TCEQ and ITC's contractor. The agency is evaluating for 117 constituents as part of a thorough lab analysis. Nine constituents in the samples tested thus far exceeded their health-protective concentration level, including total xylenes, pyrene, anthracene, benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and 2-methylnaphthalene."

Cleanup efforts from last weekend’s fire are underway.Company officials say a breach in the wall separating the facility from the local waterway has been closed. TCEQ officials say there is no threat to local drinking water.

A seven-mile of the Houston Ship Channel is also closed, with no schedule for reopening. The leak has also forced temporary closures at the San Jacinto monument, the Batttleship Texas, and the Lynchburg Ferry crossing.

Today marks one week since the fire broke out. Investigators have not yet determined the cause.


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