DA Files Environmental Criminal Charges Against ITC

HOUSTON – The Harris County District Attorney's Office announced Monday that criminal charges had been filed against Intercontinental Terminals Company in Deer Park for the role they played in a devastating chemical fire at the plant on March 17.

“People living in Deer Park and the other neighboring residential areas near ITC’s plant deserve protection too,” Harris County DA Kim Ogg said in a statement. “When public health is at risk, it’s a public safety concern.”

Ogg said her office was filing five environmental criminal a charges related to the impact the explosion, fire and runoff into Tucker Bayou and the San Jacinto River had on residents in the area.

The petrochemical facility incident was sparked by an explosion and a fire sent black plumes of smoke across Houston's skyline for nearly four days.

A day after the fire was extinguished, the company’s makeshift dike broke, sending large and still unknown quantities of xylene,benzene, and highly toxic chemicals, into Tucker Bayou which flows directly into the Galveston Bay.

The Environmental Crimes Division’s review of the evidence demonstrates that the water pollution in Tucker Bayou was at criminal levels from March 17 through March 21, establishing probable cause to believe that the company should be criminally charged for each day it violated the law.

“The discharge from the ITC fire into Tucker Bayou is a clear water pollution case,” said Environmental Crimes Division Chief prosecutor Alex Forrest. “We are looking forward to reviewing the reports of other local and federal agencies, as they complete their investigations, so that we can determine if other charges will follow.”

ITC could face a fine of up to $100,000 per each of the five charges filed.

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