Politics & Government
Arkema Exec Indicted Over Toxic Chemical Release During Harvey
Arkema and Arkema VP Mike Keough were indicted by a Harris County grand jury for injuring 2 deputies who were exposed to toxic fumes.
HOUSTON — Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Wednesday that a grand jury indicted Arkema and Mike Keough, the company's vice president of logistics, for causing bodily injury to two Harris County Sheriff's deputies by withholding information that caused the deputies to become ill from a cheical release during Hurricane Harvey.
"The facts show Arkema knew of the dangers, withheld vital information, and unleashed harm on first responders and the community," Ogg said Wednesday. "This felony indictment is a wake-up call to companies that would pollute our air and waterways, ignore best practices in safety, and put our communities at risk."
The indictment comes nearly two years after Hurricane Harvey made landfall and dumped 51 inches of rain, which inundated Houston and other surrounding communities with unprecedented flooding.
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RELATED: Harris County Suing Arkema Over Chemical Releases
The flood waters that overtook the Arkema facility caused the plant to lose power, which heated up and ignited the chemicals inside the facility.
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Akema officials allegedly told law enforcement and other first responders in the area that they were monitoring gases emitting from the plant, and they would notify emergency personnel if there was a risk of being exposed to toxic chemicals.
However, Ogg said the evidence shows that the chemicals from Arkema completely unmonitored, exposing first responders and deputies to dangerous chemical exposure.
The chemicals inside the plant known as organic peroxides, sent plumes of smoke over Crosby forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents, and sent several Harris County Sheriff's deputies to the emergency room after they became ill from the smoke and fumes.
A toxic cloud was captured on dash-cam video by deputies on the scene, and deputies and EMT personnel exposed to the toxins were ordered to report to San Jacinto Methodist Hospital for decontamination.
The Felony Assault charges announced Wednesday carry a punishment of 2-10 years as a third degree felony.
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