The Harris County District Attorney's Office has filed criminal charges against a petrochemical storage facility which caught fire and burned for several days in March.
Assistant DA Tom Berg says ITC had been cited for several violations in the past.
"This is by no means the first they've gotten in trouble over this and obviously the civil responses have been inadequate to cause them to be more responsible," he said Monday.
ITC officials face five counts of misdemeanor pollution charges.
"Especially the folks out in Deer Park and the whole ship channel area which suffers the most from pollutants in the air and in the water, and in the ground," Berg added."We need to protect them and the only way to do that in the district attorney's office is through the prosecution of criminal cases."
The company has yet to respond.