HOUSTON — Local leaders are blaming PEMEX oil refinery for communications failures during Thursday night's deadly chemical release at the facility.
Two workers were killed and more than 30 others hurt after a hydrogen sulfide release. At a news conference Friday, Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia said PEMEX failed to communicate timely, accurate information on the severity of the situation.
Garcia didn't hold back, adding what he called PEMEX's failure to communicate. He said it led to many people in the community to wonder if they were safe as this emergency stretched for hours.
He also compared it to what he said was very good communication during the pipeline explosion, which was also in in Deer Park, a few weeks ago. He said in that instance, emergency crews got timely information
Garcia said that PEMEX was not prepared to communicate in a timely manner during the chemical leak. The commissioner said that the company failed to provide information about air monitoring that was happening at their fence line, claiming that forced first responders to send their own monitoring team.
He also claimed that the company failed to provide a "suitable spokesperson" and that they refused to speak to the public until the situation turned into a recovery operation.
"PEMEX also failed to utilize the CAER App," Garcia said. "A line of communication relies on how to make sure that potential hazards, that produced during these industrial events and emergencies, that the right information is going to the right people in a very timely way."
PEMEX released a response to that Friday afternoon. They're painting a very different picture of the situation, saying that they were in active communication with all the responding agencies and local and county officials throughout the entire incident. However, they didn't share any updates on victims of the leak or their condition.
You can see Friday's full news conference below.
U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigating
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced on Friday that it launched an investigation into Thursday night's deadly chemical release of hydrogen sulfide.
“This is a very serious incident that caused multiple fatalities and injuries and potentially put the surrounding community at risk,” said CSB Chairperson Steve Owens.
You can read more about the investigation here.
Air monitoring
The map below shows where air monitoring is taking place in Harris County.
What is hydrogen sulfide?
Hydrogen sulfide is a flammable, colorless gas that smells like rotten eggs, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. It occurs naturally in crude petroleum, natural gas, volcanic gasses and hot springs. It can also result from bacterial breakdown of organic matter.
It's also created in your mouth and digestive tract during the digestion of food containing vegetable or animal proteins.
It's primarily used during the production of sulfur and sulfuric acid.
How can it affect your health?
The respiratory tract and nervous system are the most sensitive targets of hydrogen sulfide toxicity.
Exposure to low concentrations can irritate the eyes, nose or throat. It can also cause breathing issues for people with asthma. It can cause headaches, poor memory, tiredness and balance problems.
Exposure to high concentrations can cause loss of consciousness, and in some cases, respiratory distress or arrest.