Fighting chemical fire sends PFAS into Houston area waterways
Environmental groups are raising alarm about the consequences of using foam retardant to quell the enormous fire that raged for days at the International Terminals Co. (ITC) in Texas. Storage tanks that were ablaze at the chemical facility near the Deer Park facility contained gasoline blends, base oils, xylene, pyrolysis gasoline and naptha. The ITC fire crews that worked to extinguish it only managed to gain traction on the third day, even as the company shut off pipelines and equipment in order to reduce the risk of explosion.
Concerned about airborne exposure to benzene, many local residents sheltered in place and some schools canceled classes. Under a pall of dark smoke that spread over five counties, although officials assured the public that the fire posed no threat to health.