Residents return around Arkema plant, told to drink bottled water.
CROSBY, Texas (KTRK) — People who live in a 1.5-mile evacuation zone around a Crosby chemical plant are being allowed to return to their homes after the facility was under the threat of an explosion due to flooding from Harvey.
Arkema Inc. Crosby update 1.5 Mile Evacuation Zone Lifted for Area Surrounding Arkema Crosby Facility – more info at https://t.co/HwcMKmug1l — Arkema Inc. (@Arkema_Inc) September 4, 2017 "The Crosby Fire Department and unified command has determined it is safe for residents to return to their homes.
The 1.5-mile evacuation zone around the Arkema Inc. facility has been lifted and is no longer in effect," the company said in a news release.
"In a proactive approach, to minimize the impacts to the community by the Arkema Inc. incident, a decision was made by Arkema Inc. in coordination with unified command to take proactive measures to initiate ignition of the remaining trailers through controlled means," Arkema said in a press release Sunday.
The EPA says it is continuing to monitor the smoke and air quality near the facility.
Crosby’s Arkema plant, inundated with water, wasn’t the only site to flood.
The EPA did not respond to questions about why its personnel had not yet been able to do so.
When pressed about whether backup generators had been elevated as to not be inundated with water, plant officials said they didn’t know.
A safety official with the plant this time around acknowledged they hadn’t done enough to prevent the problems.