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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 26 March 2019

Environmental, economic

damage a concern

now that fire out

Continued from Front performed several test runs
with ships, letting them pass
Here’s a look at what has through the affected area
happened and what to ex- to see if they don’t inter-
pect: fere with the cleanup and
THE FIRE AND RESPONSE don’t get contaminated.
A massive fire started Such test runs will help the
March 17 at the ITC plant Coast Guard determine
in the suburb of Deer Park, when the channel can be
southeast of Houston. It fully opened.
left several petrochemi- EFFECTS ON COMMERCE
cal tanks damaged or de- The Port of Houston is the
stroyed and thrust plumes No. 1 in the U.S. in foreign
of black smoke into the air tonnage and is in the top
and burned on and off for five in the U.S. in the num- In a Wednesday, March 20, 2019 file photo, emergency crews continue to douse what’s left of the
days. ber of containers it han- now-extinguished petrochemical tank fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company, in Deer Park.
It’s unclear how the blaze dles. Associated Press
began. The head of a maritime come through the Port of ITC is facing legal challeng- lieved to be the first civil
On Thursday, residents trade organization rep- Houston. He said on aver- es over the fire and spill. lawsuit against ITC over
were warned to stay in- resenting more than 200 age they move 55 ships a On Monday, seven people the fire. The suit was filed in
side for their own safety companies at the port said day. who live near the storage state district court in Hous-
because of high levels of the closure of several miles WHAT’S NEXT? facility filed what is be- ton. q
benzene in the air. of the channel has slowed
The chemical evaporates but not stalled commerce.
quickly and can cause The top products that pass
drowsiness, dizziness, rap- through the ship channel
id heartbeat, and head- include resins and plastics,
aches, with worse symp- chemicals, fabrics, includ-
toms at higher levels of ex- ing raw cotton, and steel
posure. and metals.
Authorities shut down part Capt. Bill Diehl, president of
of the ship channel Friday the Greater Houston Port
to traffic to try and contin- Bureau, said Monday the
ue the cleanup and con- port is a manufacturing
tain the spill. center for petrochemicals
U.S. Coast Guard Capt. and supporting business-
Kevin Oditt said Monday es and that those places
it could be several more are still operating but that
days before that part of products may be slow to
the channel reopens. come in or out right now.
“The priorities remain en- Diehl said the channel is 52
suring the safety of our on- miles long and other sec-
scene responders as well tions have remained open.
as mitigating any impact As of Monday afternoon,
to the waterway or the en- some ships were being
vironment and reopening slowly taken through the
the Houston Ship Chan- area that had been closed
nel,” Oditt said. to make sure they didn’t
The San Jacinto River, a disturb the cleanup.
waterway leading into the That section, for now, is
ship channel and located only open to daylight tran-
north of ITC’s facility, was sits, Diehl said. “It has an
reopened to barge and effect on business,” Diehl
tow traffic but only for said, “but not as much as
about three hours on Mon- you’d think.”
day. Diehl said that half of the
Oditt said officials have ships that come into Texas