• EPA and TCEQ announce story map resource
• Interactive tool provides easy access for ITC fire data
DALLAS – (March 31, 2019) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announce a new interactive resource to help keep the public updated and informed about the response activities for the Intercontinental Terminals Company LLC (ITC) Fire in La Porte, Texas.
The new resource, a collaborative, interactive “story map,” can be viewed on EPA’s website at response.epa.gov/ITCTankFire.
EPA and TCEQ’s response actions, as well as maps, photos and sampling locations are featured.
On March 17, 2019, in response to a tank fire at the ITC facility, EPA, TCEQ, along with state and local agencies joined ITC in a Unified Command. EPA and TCEQ continue to be onsite for the emergency response focused on providing the assistance and coordination needed to address any discharges from the site. EPA and TCEQ have been conducting water sampling and air monitoring throughout the affected areas from the onset of the response.
TCEQ and the EPA have decades of experience responding to natural and man-made disasters. Both agencies are assisting in this response with equipment and expertise in response management and air and water quality testing and analysis. EPA has conducted ground level air monitoring with hand held equipment and the Airborne Spectral Photometric Environmental Collection Technology aircraft (ASPECT). The EPA Trace Atmosphere Gas Analyzer (TAGA) has also been monitoring for organic compounds in the air. The TCEQ continues to work around the clock, pulling in inspectors from regions around the state to conduct air monitoring and water quality sampling. Test results are being posted to the TCEQ’s incident website daily.