SHEPHERD, Texas – A chemical plant fire prompted a shelter-in-place for surrounding residents Wednesday morning, according to the San Jacinto County Office of Emergency Management.
The fire erupted at Sound Resource Solutions, located at 731 Farm to Market 1127 in Shepherd.
Geoff Hardfield, president of Sound Resource Solutions and SoundRS Logistics, listed the following chemicals and products the company uses that could possibly have burned in the flames:
- SRS Tank Wash Solvent
- SRS Viscosity Adjustors
- Sulfuric Acid
- Acetic Acid
- Phosphoric Acid
- Acetone
- Xylene
- Hexane and Hexane Blends
- Mineral Spirits
- Methanol
- Caustic 20-50%
According to the company’s website, Sound Resource Solutions also manufactures varieties of windshield washer fluid, diesel substitutes and hand sanitizer.
Hardfield says the company has 40 employees and that everyone is safe. One employee did suffer a minor burn.
Hardfield believes a “forklift incident” somehow led to the fire but says Sound Resource Solutions will do a detailed investigation.
What are the health consequences from the chemical plant fire?
KPRC 2 Health Reporter Haley Hernandez shared some potential health consequences from the fire.
According to Polk County, these are the dangers and what it means:
- Acute toxicity
According to OSHA, acute toxicity is when something is inhaled for four hours and can begin to have effects on your skin and breathing. But it gets worse, the chemicals that were burning are also known as carcinogens and may have reproductive toxicity.
- Reproductive toxicity
This means the chemicals may impact both fertility and development of a baby while the mother is pregnant, according to the National Institutes of Health. Officials said if you’re pregnant, stay away from the impacted area or shelter in place.
- Eye damage/ irritation
- Skin corrosion or irritation
This could include burning.
- Aspiration hazard
According to OSHA, this can cause troubled breathing but can include lung injury or death
- Organ toxicity
Organ toxicity is listed as a health complication from the fire. Complications of that can range from a single lethal dose to repeated exposure that leads to health issues.
For real-time updates on the chemical plant fire, click here.