HOUSTON — One person died Thursday and several others were injured after a hydrogen sulfide release at the PEMEX facility in Deer Park, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Deer Park Office of Emergency Management officials said the incident was contained to the PEMEX facility and there was no threat to the community. It's unclear exactly what happened but PEMEX officials said it took place at 4:40 p.m.
Highway 225 was closed in both directions near Beltway 8 due to the incident.
Gonzalez said at least one person died, another person was taken to an area hospital via Life Flight and several others were injured. He first posted about the incident on X around 6:30 p.m.
It's unclear if those who were injured were workers at the facility.
In the wake of the gas release, PEMEX said it was performing activities that may cause flaring.
KHOU 11 Chief Meteorologist David Paul said the wind was calm on Thursday night.
Air monitoring
The map below shows where air monitoring is taking place in Harris County.
Shelter-in-place orders
Due to the chemical release, the City of Deer Park issued a shelter-in-place for all residents. City officials said they were having issues with their alert system, so some residents might not be getting notifications. They told people to go inside, close all windows and doors, turn off the air conditioner and wait for the all-clear to be issued.
The city posted about the order on X around 7 p.m.
The City of Pasadena issued a shelter-in-place for areas north of Spencer Highway within city limits. The order was lifted about 30 minutes after it was issued.
PEMEX issued this statement at 7:50 p.m.:
"PEMEX Deer Park confirms that a gas release was reported at one of our operating units at 4:40 p.m. The incident is contained to our site and has been isolated.
"Members of our Emergency Response Team, Channel Industrial Mutual Aid (CIMA) and Harris County Emergency Management personnel and other government agencies are on site and responding to the situation.
"Our primary concerns are to ensure the safety of everyone involved and to secure the facility. Out of an abundance of caution, State Highway 225 has been temporarily closed.
"Some members of the community may see flaring as we safely contain the situation. We are closely monitoring air quality and are not detecting any offsite impacts.
"We have no additional details at this time. We will provide an update when more information becomes known."
La Porte city officials issued this statement:
"At this time there is no impact inside the La Porte city limits. The City’s Office of Emergency Management is monitoring the situation and is in contact with these cities."
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued this statement via X:
What is hydrogen sulfide?
Hydrogen sulfide is a flammable, colorless gas that smells like rotten eggs, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. It occurs naturally in crude petroleum, natural gas, volcanic gasses and hot springs. It can also result from bacterial breakdown of organic matter.
It's also created in your mouth and digestive tract during the digestion of food containing vegetable or animal proteins.
It's primarily used during the production of sulfur and sulfuric acid.
How can it affect your health?
The respiratory tract and nervous system are the most sensitive targets of hydrogen sulfide toxicity.
Exposure to low concentrations can irritate the eyes, nose or throat. It can also cause breathing issues for people with asthma. It can cause headaches, poor memory, tiredness and balance problems.
Exposure to high concentrations can cause loss of consciousness, and in some cases, respiratory distress or arrest.