The National Response Center (NRC 753543) notified EPA of an explosion at the BP petrochemical plant in Texas City, Texas. The explosion occurred at approximately 1:30 PM local time. A Shelter-in-Place was issued for nearby residents and schools in the Texas City Independent School District. Fire and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) crews are on scene addressing the fire, and performing search and rescue operations.
BP Refinery reportedly processes some 460 thousand barrels of crude oil per day and produces a variety of petrochemicals. The plant has about 1,800 employees.
BP representative Dan Lutz reports the process unit which was involved in the explosion, is an isomerization unit that produced high end naptha products with a feed line that contains 0.5% benzene. BP Joe Barnes, Deputy Incident Commander, states that the incident occurred at 1320 on 23 March 2005 at the west end of the refinery. The fire was extinguished at 1522 on 23 March 2005. The medical examiner is onsite and search and rescue operations are ongoing. BP Barnes states that sixty employees of BP and subcontractors have been sent to local medical facilities for treatment. Reported fatalities from BP incident commander is at fourteen.
Unified Command has been established with BP Incident Commander, EPA FOSC McCormick, SOSC Rodriguez with Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Texas City Emergency Management Respresentative Clawson. BP established this operational period from time of the incident to midnight on 23 March 2005. The next operational period will operate from midnight to 0800. The shift that left at midnight will resume command at 0800 on 24 March 2005. Current objectives for the operational period of 1330 on 23 March 2005 through midnight is listed below:
- Account for all personnel – attend to injured and establish hospital support
- Secure source of fire / secure area
- Insure all notifications are made to the appropriate external agencies
- Assess incident – establish response persons / plan / and organizational chart
- Manage external and internal communications
- Local message established
- Established EAP availability for responders, families, and co-workers
EPA START representatives have been tasked by FOSC McCormick to conduct air monitoring in the surrounding community for VOC, SO2, H2S, O2, Benzene, MTBE, and wind direction. All air monitoring has indicated non-detect at this time. EPA will continue to conduct air monitoring.
BP will continue to operate their search and rescue crew operations through 24 March 2005. EPA representatives will remain onsite until a shift change at midnight.
BP plans to complete the objectives for the operational period of 1330 on 23 March 2005 through midnight and plans to address the following:
- Finalize accounting for all personnel
- Establish / maintain 24 hours coverage for family and victim support
- Establish status of all injured personnel
- Continued incident investigation
- Continue communications as needed with public, external agencies, and families
- EPA START representatives, along with EPA OSCs and BP Contractors will continue to monitor the air quality in the surrounding areas.
- Continue to work within the Unified Command and address any potential health and safety concerns in the BP Search and Rescue Operations along with the surrounding community.
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