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U.S. NEWS Thursday 1 augusT 2019

Fire at Texas Exxon Mobil

refinery slightly injures 37

By JUAN A. LOZANO about three hours before local officials and agencies
Associated Press being lifted Wednesday af- respond to such incidents
HOUSTON (AP) — An explo- ternoon. in the wake of the petro-
sion and fire at an Exxon The cause of the explosion chemical complex fires
Mobil oil refinery in Texas on and fire was still being in- from earlier this year, said
Wednesday left 37 people vestigated, Duncan said. Harris County Judge Lina
with minor injuries, in the Exxon Mobil, as well as offi- Hidalgo.
latest of a series of petro- cials with Baytown and Har- Some of the steps the
chemical industry blazes ris County, had conducted county is taking as a result
this year in the Houston air quality monitoring of the of this analysis include ask-
area. plant and surrounding area ing for more air monitors,
The fire began after an ex- but had not found any- improving how the public
plosion at approximately thing to raise any health is informed about such inci-
11:07 a.m. at an Exxon Mo- concerns. dents and improving com-
bil plant in Baytown, about Wednesday's fire is the munication between agen-
25 miles (40 kilometers) east latest at a Houston-area cies that respond to such
of Houston. The facility pro- petrochemical facility this incidents. Hidalgo said the
cesses light hydrocarbons year, including one at an- county fire marshal's office
including propane and other facility on the Exxon is also working to increase
propylene, materials used Mobil Baytown complex. its inspections of area pet- Flames and smoke rise after a fire started at an Exxon Mobil fa-
cility, Wednesday, July 31, 2019, in Baytown, Texas.
to make plastic and indus- On March 16, a fire erupt- rochemical facilities.q Associated Press
trial products. ed at a refinery at the
Jason Duncan, the plant complex. The fire was ex-
manager, said many of tinguished hours later, but Los Angeles restores limits on
those hurt suffered minor Harris County officials say it
burns and all were being continued to release toxic
treated at a local clinic. pollutants for eight more homeless living in vehicles
Earlier, Exxon Mobil had days. The county has sued
said in a statement that Exxon Mobil, accusing the
six people were injured. company of violating the LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los sign the measure extending ban on living in vehicles in
All employees at the plant federal Clean Air Act. Angeles has restored regu- the rules to January, the Los Los Angeles several years
had been accounted for, Also in March, a fire burned lations barring people from Angeles Times reported. ago, leading to the new
officials said. for days at a petrochemi- sleeping at night in vehicles Opponents cite inad- limits intended to keep ve-
Right after the explosion, cal storage facility owned on residential streets or liv- equate housing, shelters hicles out of neighborhoods
the fire sent large plumes of by Intercontinental Termi- ing anytime in vehicles and so-called safe parking but allowing them in com-
black smoke into the sky. By nals Company in nearby within a block of parks, sites for the homeless, while mercial or industrial areas.
Wednesday afternoon, the Deer Park and caused schools, preschools or day- advocates cite a host of The city has since imposed
smoke had lessened. Dun- chemicals to flow into a care facilities. problems stemming from additional restrictions on a
can said the fire had been nearby waterway. After the A recent count found more people living in vehicles, street-by-street basis The
isolated and contained but fire, the Harris County Dis- than 9,500 people live in especially big RVs, in resi- concern is widespread
had not yet been extin- trict Attorney's Office filed vehicles throughout the dential areas. throughout the state. A re-
guished. water pollution charges city, and safe parking sites "It has been a nightmare cent report in San Francis-
"It is our number one prior- against ITC. currently have room for in Venice with people liv- co found a growing num-
ity to protect the people In April, one worker died fewer than 200 vehicles ing in cars (and RVs) leav- ber of homeless people are
in the community and the after a tank holding a flam- each night, according to ing trash and creating un- living out of vehicles, con-
people that work for us," mable chemical caught the city's Homeless Services sanitary conditions on our tributing to a 17% increase
Duncan said. fire at a plant operated by Authority. The City Coun- streets and sidewalks as in homelessness there in the
The city of Baytown is- KMCO LLC in nearby Cros- cil unanimously approved well as taking away much last two years. San Fran-
sued a shelter in place for by. regulations Tuesday that needed parking," Carol cisco identified nearly 600
residents living west of the Prior to Wednesday's fire, expired at the beginning Katona wrote in a letter to passenger vehicles, RVs or
plant shortly after the fire. Harris County had con- of July. Democratic Mayor the council. A federal court vans that appeared to be
It remained in place for ducted an analysis of how Eric Garcetti is expected to struck down a city-wide inhabited.q