Hundreds more sue Watson over fatal blast

Another 500 residents have filed lawsuits against Watson Grinding & Manufacturing, the company behind an early-morning explosion in January that killed two workers and damaged hundreds of nearby homes.

The new claims were filed as an important deadline nears: After July 8 — next Wednesday — residents will no longer be able to file against Watson Grinding and its affiliated company, Watson Valve. An attorney for those companies did not respond to a request for comment.

The latest plaintiffs include adults and their unnamed children, who allege the Jan. 28 blast completely or partially damaged their homes or businesses, according to attorney Robert Kwok, who now represents more than 900 people affected by the explosion.

Among them are Julio Granillo and Julia Sandoval, who live on Bridgeland Lane, one of the hardest hit areas of the explosion. The blast moved some of the walls in their house inches from where they originally were, and they have built wooden frames in their kitchen to keep the ceiling from caving in. They continue to live in the house.

Investigators say a 2,000-gallon outdoor tank of the chemical propylene was responsible for the explosion, which rang out just after 4 a.m. that Friday. Early attention has focused on the possibility of a leak in a pipe between the tank and the plant as the cause of the blast.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Houston Field Division still has not completed its investigation of the blast, which was expected within 60 days. The office has said the pandemic contributed to the delay.

Propylene is made by processing various natural gases, and it has a number of industrial uses that include making films, fibers and plastic packaging.

Five months after the explosion, Granillo and Sandoval are among hundreds in the neighborhood still struggling to recover as they also weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Dumpsters still line the neighborhood as work crews demolish houses and try to rebuild them. Many residents, however, remain displaced.

The new claims are filed against Watson Grinding & Manufacturing and Watson Valve Services, which have filed for bankruptcy and are facing thousands of individual lawsuits.

A federal judge overseeing the bankruptcy proceedings has said his focus will be on the victims facing life-changing upheaval.

The suits also name several other third-party companies that lawyers allege were partly responsible because they were involved in selling or maintaining the propylene gas and equipment used in storage or piping.