The Gate gives the green light for the shelter-in-place order, but the evacuation is still in effect

LA PORTE, Texas (KTRK) – Emergency officials at La Porte have given the green light to those sheltering in place following a chemical incident on Wednesday morning at Dow’s facility in Bayport.

The previous shelter-in-place order impacted residents east of 13300 Bay Area Boulevard.

However, the city’s emergency management office maintained an evacuation order for people living within a half-mile radius of the facility.

The whole ordeal started sometime before 7:35 a.m.

“A tank is being vented at the Dow site in Houston Operations Bayport,” officials said. “Out of caution, employees have been ordered to evacuate the site and a shelter in place has been issued for the contours of the surrounding area below.”

Dow reported that no injuries had occurred due to the venting of hydroxyethyl acrylate, which the company says is an acrylic used in coatings and adhesives.

“There is no indication from monitoring the data that this event had an impact offsite,” the company said on social media just after 9 a.m. “However, out of caution, employees have been evacuated and we continue to work with Emergency Preparedness on a shelter in place.”

At an afternoon press conference, officials said gas had stopped escaping from a valve, but the problem is that the chemical may not be neutralized and it may there to be an accumulation. There is also the danger of two nearby tankers that could be explosive, they added.

After the green light, the crews checked the thermal temperature in the area.

While the affected region mainly includes industrial facilities, at least one neighborhood is within the evacuation zone. Fewer than 10 homes have been identified by authorities as being in the affected area, according to La Porte Police Chief Steve Deardoff. People living in two of those households are refusing to leave, emergency officials said in a noon briefing.

The incident also resulted in the evacuation of students from Bayshore Elementary School. But since everything is clear, activities on campus have resumed as planned, and parents run by La Porte ISD can pick up their children at the end of the summer day.

SkyEye video showed fire crews spraying a water tanker trailer from multiple directions at the site.

Traffic in the area was diverted from the evacuation area. West Fairmont Parkway and Bay Area Boulevard have both been closed.

Following the release event, Christian Menefee, the Harris County attorney, said his office was in contact with the county’s Department of Pollution Control Services, which he said is on site. and investigate the issues.

“We are considering all legal options to ensure the safety of residents of Harris County,” Menefee tweeted.

The Dow Houston Bayport facility covers 139 acres and employs 225 Dow workers and 150 other contractors, according to a facility profile on the company’s website.

Eyewitness News has a team of journalists covering the current situation at La Porte. For the latest news, you can follow Steve Campion on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and TJ Parker on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.