Toxic Gas Release at Texas Refinery Sparks Investigation

United States: The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) stated on Wednesday that 27,000 pounds (13.5 tons) of dangerous hydrogen sulfide gas was discharged at a Pemex refinery in Deer Park, Texas, on October 10 and was fatal to two contract employees.

In particular, the crisis response and management of maintenance work at Mexico’s state-owned oil and gas company is the subject of the board’s investigation, the agency said in a statement on its website at the end of Wednesday, as reported by Reuters.

Maintenance Mishap Leads to Disaster

According to the board, two contract workers of Repcon were conducting maintenance when they cracked open a flange through which the hydrogen sulfide gas escaped.

Other thirteen people were injured in the release that the board claimed had taken about an hour. During the release, Deer Park and Pasadena, Texas, in the suburbs of Houston, required residents to stay indoors.

Hydrogen sulfide is a dangerous gas that can cause severe harm and fatalities at relatively low parts per million, according to the CSB chairperson, Steve Owen. ”This dangerous incident caused the death of two workers and posed very serious risk to other workers and inhabitants of the surrounding areas.”

Lawsuits and Accountability

Several claims for tens of millions of dollars from Pemex and the previous refinery owner Shell Plc (SHEL.L) have been filed for the plaintiffs by their lawyers on behalf of families of victims, affected employees, and residents, as reported by Reuters.

Other agencies that are also investigating the occurrence include the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as well as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.