Pasadena, Texas-The U.S. Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and Agrifos have established a command center at Pasadena as a result of recent spills and discharges from the company’s gypsum stack, according to company spokesman Steve Pierce. The problems were said to be the result of extremely heavy rainfall this year – the most since 1943. The company was still attempting to determine the amount of contaminated water that flowed into Cotton Patch Bayou, which connects to the Houston shipping channel. While some environmental damage did occur, the company said there was no threat to public health. A spill occurred on Aug. 16, when water seeped under the containment wall; repairs were completed on Aug. 20. A second leak happened on Sept. 1 during a heavy downpour. As Hurricane Humberto approached two weeks ago, the company began discharging water treated with soda ash and lined the ditch with limestone gravel to reduce acidity to avoid another spill. Pierce said the gypsum stack was operating normally and the plant was still working at maximum capacity, because production helps reduce the water level. He said the company was working with EPA on mitigation and ways to avoid similar problems in the future. Pierce added the company was keeping a close eye on a system that formed over Florida last week and could develop into a tropical storm over the Gulf. At that time, landfall was expected to be to the east of Pasadena.
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