WEST ORANGE, Texas — Brent Coon & Associates law firm filed the first lawsuits following a railcar chemical release at Eagle Railcar Services in Orange County.
According to a release, the firm included a "temporary restraining order" that was signed by District Court Judge Courtney Arkeen that will prevent anyone from "tampering with or destroying any evidence associated to the incident and provide access to professional inspections of the area and equipment involved."
Lead counsel and founder of Brent Coon & Associates, Brent Coon released a statement saying;
“This is yet another in the continuing saga of highly volatile and carcinogenic (cancer causing) products being dumped, leaked, vented or spilled into our local environment. It happens with tragic regularity and goes unnoticed unless it results in a catastrophic situation where scores of people are rushed to the hospital or are ordered to stay inside homes with no air conditioning, often in 100 decree heat for hours or days at a time. Our firm has dealt with very similar situations hundreds of times in cases all over the country, and even recently in the area with the KCS toxic chemical derailment in Mauriceville just two years ago and the infamous TPC refinery explosion in Port Neches that resulted in the mandatory evacuation of over 25,000,” said Brent Coon, lead counsel and founder of Brent Coon & Associates.
The chemical released is understood to be a form of methacrylic acid which is commonly used in paints, plastics and other finished products, according to Coon.
“The product involved in this leak is known to be highly toxic and causes breathing problems, nose and eye irritation, and other adverse health effects, and is registered with the U.S. Government as a probable carcinogen, meaning that it can cause cancer," said Coon. "Numerous animal studies in the past with this product have confirmed those findings. Anyone exposed should at least go to a local physician for follow up and health monitoring."
"While the leak was occurring at the Eagle Railcar Services facility on Foreman Road in Orange County, BCA is early into any investigation as to why the railcar leaked, who owned the railcar, why it was at Eagle Railcar Services, and how long the situation and been dire before the public was informed at any level to take precautions," said Coon.
On Thursday, officials announced that the source of the chemical odor in West Orange, Bridge City and Orangefield was due to a release from a railcar at a repair facility about half a mile south of West Orange-Stark High School.
A railcar at Eagle Railcar Services on Foreman Rd. was "conducting a controlled flaring operation," according to a news release from the Orange County Office of Emergency Management. The flaring at the 60 acre facility, with a capacity for 650 railcars, continued for several hours.
A total of 24 people, some suffering from respiratory issues and some from anxiety issues were taken to Christus hospitals in Southeast Texas, according to a spokesperson. Nine were taken to Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont.
The shelter-in-place for West Orange, Bridge City and Orangefield was lifted at 8 p.m. Thursday night, according to a release from Orange County Office of Emergency Management.
The case is filed in the 163rd District Court with Judge Rex Peverto, cause No. 240272-C.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.