Jason Duncan, ExxonMobil plant manager, says they're still conducting air monitoring along the area and have not seen any 'adverse environmental affect.'
Photo KHOU
ExxonMobil has confirmed that a fire has occurred at its Baytown Olefins plant, and its team is working to extinguish the fire.
Thirty-seven people are reportedly injured. A company spokeswoman from Exxon called the injuries non-life threatening. The cause was not immediately known.
As a precaution, the industrial hygiene staff is conducting air quality monitoring at the site and at the fenceline, "and we are cooperating with regulatory agencies," the company said in a tweet.
"We regret any disruption or inconvenience this incident may have caused the community."
The fire began in a unit containing polypropylene materials, a plastic made largely from natural gas liquids. ExxonMobil said the unit “processes light hydrocarbons, including propylene.” It was the second fire this year at the ExxonMobil Baytown plant.
Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District issued a statement about the precautionary shelter-in-place for areas west of the plant, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Multiple schools were affected by the order including Goose Creek Service Center, Robert E. Lee High School, Peter E. Hyland, IMPACT ECHS, San Jacinto Elementary, Travis Elementary and Baytown Junior Hugh.
Natasha Barrett, spokeswoman with the city of Baytown, said the city's fire department was on standby as ExxonMobil teams battled the fire.
John Maselli, senior research analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said: “At this time, it is difficult to gauge the full impact of the fire on the greater ExxonMobil Baytown complex. The duration and magnitude of the market impact will be determined by the extent of the damage and what units and chemical value chains are affected. Wood Mackenzie estimates about 45% of ExxonMobil’s installed USA chemical capacity is in Baytown, Texas.”
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