PORT NECHES, Texas — TPC is planning to deconstruct two towers a day in the Port Neches plant starting Friday.
Starting on February 2 and on the following three Fridays, February 9, 16 and 23 the towers will be dropping.
The deconstruction will happen at two separate times. The first at 9 a.m. and the second at 11 a.m. on each of the scheduled Fridays.
It's estimated that it will take around 5 to 10 minutes to deconstruction each tower.
During these time periods, there will be road closures for these activities for added safety measures.
- The intersection of Spur 136 at Highway 366
- Spur 136 to Highway 366 in front of TPC Port Neches
- Highway 366 between Spur 136 & Park Street
Many Southeast Texans will always remember the explosion that shook homes miles away when the TPC plant exploded the day before Thanksgiving on Nov. 27, 2019.
In August 2023 the U.S. Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into the explosion which caused more than $153 million in damages to hundreds of homes and businesses.
A report from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, in December 2022, blamed the explosion on 'a known safety hazard – popcorn polymer – that was poorly managed and controlled at the facility.'
TPC filed for bankruptcy in Delaware in 2021 and reached a $30 million bankruptcy settlement in 2023.
The plant is no longer producing chemicals, only operating as a terminal.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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