PASADENA, Texas -- A refinery plant with a history of environmental violations caught fire Saturday morning, injuring one worker.
The explosion occurred just after 10 a.m. Saturday at Pasadena Refining System, Inc. (PRSI) in the 100 block of Red Bluff Road.
Officials say the person injured has a flash burn to the hand and was transported to Bayshore Medical Center in Pasadena.
Viewer video: Plant explosion in Pasadena
Plant managers believe that while a compressor was starting up in the hydrodesulfurization unit, some hydrogen released and set diesel fuel in the unit on fire.
Officials with Pasadena Refinery and Harris County Pollution Control conducted air monitoring and found no indications of any off-site impact.
Before crews got the fire under control, the plume of smoke was so big that the nearby Houston Ship Channel had to be closed for a short time.
Neighbors tell KHOU 11 News this incident is just one in a string that has them worried about the plant.
"For a while now our community has already been gathering up and going to city hall about stuff like this because they pollute the air," said neighbor Max Rivera. "This is just the tip of what's going on."
PRSI, owned by the Brazilian company Petrobras, does have a history of significant violations with the Environmental Protection Agency and fines from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The plant is also in the process of applying for a new Title V Federal Operating Permit, which right now is not up to date.
Photos: Plant explodes in Pasadena
