State Environmental Regulators Are Monitoring Air Quality After Beaumont Chemical Plant Fire

Schools are open after last week’s explosion, but regulators recently found elevated levels of volatile organic compounds and more near the TPC Group plant.

By Rhonda FanningDecember 4, 2019 2:11 pm

Two explosions at the TPC Group chemical plant in Beaumont the night before Thanksgiving injured workers and shattered windows at nearby homes and businesses. Nearly a week later, firefighters have extinguished the fire, but emergency crews are still on-site, monitoring the plant.

Jacob Dick has been covering the story for the Beaumont Enterprise, and says officials told him the fire started around a butadiene processor, which is used to make synthetic rubber and plastic materials.

“Then, from there, it spread into several different chemical holding vessels,” Dick says.

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– How the TPC plant is old and has been cited before for clean-air violations

– How regulatory agencies are monitoring air quality around the plant after the explosions

– What chemicals agencies have detected in the air, and whether the chemicals are affecting anyone

 

Written by Caroline Covington.