Black smoke, flames shoot up from Texas chemical plant

HOUSTON — Thick black smoke and towering orange flames shot up Friday from a flooded Houston-area chemical plant after two trailers of highly unstable compounds blew up a day earlier after losing refrigeration.

It was the second day that flames and smoke could be seen at the Arkema plant in Crosby. Arkema says Harvey’s floodwaters engulfed its backup generators and knocked out the refrigeration necessary to keep the organic peroxides from degrading and catching fire. Arkema executive Richard Rennard said two containers caught fire Friday evening, and that the company has six more that it expects will eventually catch fire.

The Environmental Protection Agency and local officials said an analysis of the smoke that came from the plant early Thursday showed no reason for alarm. No serious injuries were reported. EPA spokesman David Gray said the agency was sending its surveillance aircraft through the area again Friday night to monitor any airborne toxic chemicals and “will have information shortly.”

A 2.4 kilometre buffer around the plant was established Tuesday when Arkema warned that chemicals kept there could explode. Employees had been pulled, and up to 5,000 people living nearby were warned to evacuate.

Arkema spokeswoman Janet Smith reiterated statements executives made earlier Friday that the safest course of action is to simply “let these fires happen and let them burn out.”