Incident Reported At Valero Refinery In Ship Channel

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Incident Reported At Valero Refinery In Ship Channel (MCI)

Several people have been overcome by fumes near 97th & Manchester in East Houston. Details to come.
Watch Live: http://www.khou.com/sharedcontent/VideoPlayer/videoPlayer.php?vidId=57408&live=yes&noad=yes (KHOU11)
Watch Live: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=4626735 (ABC13)

possible 100 people hurt, said HFD

Radio Channels:

HFD TAC 7 (462.97500)
HPD Citywide Ch. 5 (460.4250)
KTRK - News Desk (161.7000)
KHOU - News Desk (450.5125)
KPRC - News Desk (450.2875)
KRIV - News Desk (450.4875) PL: 151.4

CENTRAL ST E AVE P 535C 10/04/2006 09:58 EMS Event 0
A040, D020, E023, E029, HM1022, SF023, FM022, HM2022, A017, M029, A026, CV011, RH017 and many more

Click2Houston.com
Chemical Spill Reported At Valero Refinery

POSTED: 10:28 am CDT October 4, 2006
UPDATED: 10:38 am CDT October 4, 2006

HOUSTON -- A chemical spill was reported at the Valero refinery in the Houston Ship Channel Thursday, KPRC Local 2 reported.

The Houston Fire Department responded to the sulphur dioxide spill at the refinery on Manchester Street near 97th Street at about 9:55 a.m.

Fire officials said they are treating 20 to 30 people at the scene for inhalation injuries.

Officials are working to determine the wind direction and are taking air samples to determine if the incident poses a threat to the community.

A shelter-in-place has been issued for Alta Academy, a Houston Independent School District charter school. A shelter-in-place has not been issued for area residents.

According to Valero's Web site, the refinery employs approximately 300 people. The refinery produces petroleum products including gasoline and distillates.

Copyright 2006 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

[wpwx694]

Update on Valero Event
Oct 4, 2006 10:23 am

Update on the Valero Manchester Terminal incident. The Coast Guard is monitoring the event. They are reporting a leak of an unknown amount sulphuric acid. The plant personnel have evacuated or are sheltering in place. A shelter in place has been ordered, the boundaries are unknown at this time. We will update when information becomes available.

 

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Update: they asked all air traffic to leave the area!

 

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Dozens treated after sulfuric acid spill at Valero refinery

11:29 AM CDT on Wednesday, October 4, 2006

From 11 News Staff Reports

Dozens of people are being treated after inhaling sulfuric acid fumes at the Valero refinery in East Houston.



AIR 11

Several patients were taken by ambulance to area hospitals.


Valero sounded its alarms around 9:35 Wednesday morning at the refinery at 97th and Manchester.


The refinery was evacuated.


As many as 100 people were reportedly affected by the fumes.


Some were taken by ambulance to area hospitals. Memorial Hermann Hospital reported it had received 20 patients by 11 a.m.


Others were treated at the scene.



AIR 11

The refinery was evacuated.


The HFD Hazardous Materials or HAZMAT unit was sent to the scene.


Valero's own emergency teams also responded.


School buses were sent to Valero to transport workers away from the area.


Also online
Chau Nguyen audio report
A shelter-in-place alert was issued for nearby residents and three HISD schools: The Alta Academy, J.R. Harris Elementary and Davila Elementary.


Shelter-in-place means you should stay inside, close all windows and turn off the air conditioner.


When inhaled, sulfuric acid can cause nausea, shortness of breath, headache and coughing.


Valero officials were surveying the surrounding area to see if there has been any environmental impact.


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Online at: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou061004_mh_valerofumes.62adcad.html

 

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Houston Fire Department


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: 10.04.2006
CONTACT: Alicia Whitehead, HFD 713-495-7906

INCIDENT UPDATE - VALERO REFINERY - TODAY

At 9:52 this morning, the Houston Fire Department was dispatched to a report of chemical spill at the Valero Refinery, at Central and Manchester. A vapor release of Sulfur Dioxide occurred at the refinery.

At 11:25 a.m., the shelter in place has been lifted and an EMS medical task force has been set up to evaluate 20-30 employees for respiratory problems. Several employees have been transported. HFD has 15 EMS units on scene along with Hazmat, the Command Van, Rehab,

Media may set-up at the intersection of Manchester and Central.

* PIOs On-Scene:
Assistant Chief Omero Longoria - 713-891-0241
Captain Homero Ponce-Lopez - 713-891- 0977

 

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Dozens treated after sulfur dioxide release at Valero refinery

01:00 PM CDT on Wednesday, October 4, 2006

From 11 News Staff Reports

Dozens of workers were being treated after inhaling sulfur dioxide fumes Wednesday morning at the Valero refinery in East Houston.



KHOU

More than a dozen people were taken by ambulance to area hospitals.


Valero sounded its alarms around 9:35 Wednesday morning at the refinery at 97th and Manchester.


Hundreds of workers inside the refinery were evacuated and a shelter-in-place alert was issued for nearby residents and schools.


As many as 100 people were reportedly affected by the fumes.


Some patients were taken by ambulance to area hospitals. Memorial Hermann Hospital reported it had received 20 patients by 11 a.m.


Also online
Refinery acid spill

Chau Nguyen's audio report
Most were treated at the scene.


The HFD Hazardous Materials was sent to the scene.

HAZMAT crews donned special suits and went inside the refinery to try and contain the release.


Valero's own emergency teams also responded.


School buses were sent to Valero to transport workers away from the area.


AIR 11

The refinery was evacuated.


Brandon Torres had just arrived at work when he was turned away.


"I was driving up to the stop sign over here, saw just a bunch of people in the neighborhoods running and I saw that there was a lot of ambulances, fire trucks, all that kind of stuff," said Torres.


Metro buses were sent to provide air conditioning for the workers who were waiting outside in the heat.


A shelter-in-place alert was issued for nearby residents and three HISD schools: The Alta Academy, J.R. Harris Elementary and Davila Elementary. It was lifted about two hours after the release.


Valero officials were surveying the surrounding area to see if there has been any environmental impact.


Valero initially reported it was a sulfuric acid spill but later clarified that it was sulfur dioxide from a sulfuric acid tank.


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Online at: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou061004_mh_valerofumes.62adcad.html

 

[red8]

Hey Dominick
When I was younger I worked a couple of plants one them was up in
Kerens 24 years ago. And I have worked at BASF in Geismar and the
OLIN plant in Lake Charles, plus while I was employed with the
Sheriff's Office in Baton Rouge I worked extra doing security at
both EXXON' s chem plant and refinery after explosions and you
are right my friend that was terrible incident. In fact anytime when one works in the petrochemical industry that they stress safety
over and over again . At the plant in Kerens back in December of
1980 there was an explosion and the blast was felt in Athens about
25 miles away. I was living with my mother and father in an upstairs
apartment and it shook big time . I was working with my father at the plant and we were both off but had to go in and thatplant we made ethanol and produced liquid oxygen. So I can understand about these
tragidies that occur in petro chemical industry.
red8