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Agrifos Acid Spill

 
Site Contact:
Chris Ruhl
OSC

(ruhl.christopher@epa.gov)

Site Location:
2001 Jackson Street
Houston, TX 77003
 response.epa.gov/Agrifos
NRC#: 847942

EPA is currently responding to a request from TCEQ and the USCG to a spill in Houston, Texas. All accounts indicate that it is a very significant phosporic acid spill (excess of 3 million gallons/day) that has resulted in a fish kill and reportedly caused a pH of 2 in the Houston Ship Channel. The facility had a similar spill during Tropical Storm Allison several years back. According to the NRC report the spill has been ongoing since mid-August.


View of top of South Stack View of top of South Stack View of top of South Stack Repair of Moat Wall, Gypstack #3 Location of sediment sample #1, Cotton Patch Bayou Repair of retaing wall for gypstack #3 Overview, Cotton Patch Bayou location of sediment sampling Water sampling at Cotton Patch Bayou outfall Surface Water monitoring Repair of 2 new leaks on moat #3 exterior wall Repair of retaining wall near base of gypstack #3 Repair of retaining wall near base of gypstack #3 Drainage culvert entering Cotton Patch Bayou Waste characterization sampling, moat #3 at base of south gyp stack Waste characterization sampling, moat #3 at base of south gyp stack Water leaking past plates on north moat wall plates on concrete moat wall on north side of south gyp stack near culvert under railroad Location of inital retaining wall failure of South gyp stack moat Agrifos entrance Soda ash & fresh water for neutralizing pH of south gyp stack water Water draining from gyp stack #4 into moat #4 Moat #4, gyp stack #4 in background Trench around base of south gyp stack Pumps on top of south gyp stack Water in center of south gyp stack Water in center of south gyp stack Water in center of south gyp stack Water in center of south gyp stack Water in center of south gyp stack Trac-hoe reinforcing berm on S gyp stack NW view from top of S gyp stack RP sample collection at outfall Water coming over the wall of the South Stack Water coming over the wall of the South Stack Water coming over the wall of the South Stack Water coming over the wall of the South Stack Leaks observed in the SW portion of the South Stack Leaks observed in the SW portion of the South Stack Leaks observed in the SW portion of the South Stack Leaks coming off of Stack #4 Leaks coming off of Stack #4 Water from Stack #4 pumping into moat Demolition of the concrete at the breach site Demolition of the concrete at the breach site Water and what appears to be gypsum in the area of the seep Water and what appears to be gypsum below the wall seep Dead vegetation and wall seepage downstream of the breach point Dead crab found in Cotton Patch Bayou Dead fish found in Cotton Patch Bayou Dead crab found in Cotton Patch Bayou Stressed vegatation along Cotton Patch Bayou Stressed vegatation along Cotton Patch Bayou Effluent after fly ash treatment prior to discharge Fly Ash Application South Gypsum Pond Moat South Gypsum Pond South Gypsum Pond South Gypsum Pond Downslope South Gypsum Pond Area of second release point Area of second release point Area of second release point Area of first release point Area of first release point Area of first release point Area of first release point Area of first release point Area of first release point Area of first release point Adding soda ash to raise pH Active side of gypsum stack Looking down waterway at area of first release point Soda ash being used to lower pH Soda ash being used to lower pH Adding soda ash to raise pH Adding soda ash to raise pH Area of first release point
For additional information, visit the Pollution Report (POLREPS) section.