On July 18, 2024, a significant gas leak occurred from a railcar at the Eagle Rail Site in Orange County, Texas. A controlled flaring operation released ethyl acrylate and drove individuals in West Orange, Bridge City, and Orangefield to shelter in place without air conditioning and to keep air from coming indoors for hours. Some individuals went to the hospital for medical treatment, and the Orange County railcar chemical leak has led to lawsuits regarding the situation.
According to local media outlet 12NewsNow, “The routine flaring operation in West Orange started on Wednesday and ended with the chemical odor filling the area,” and the county’s emergency management coordinator, Joel Ardion, said crews at Eagle Railcar Services started flaring again because they were afraid of an explosion on July 18.
“They repair these tank cars and they were flaring that off, which was putting off the odor and they stopped that operation that evening after the fire department was there,” said Ardion. “The next morning, that tank had built up pressure.”
When first responders learned where the smell was coming from, they used the Southeast Texas Alerting Network to alert more than 20,000 residents of the danger.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a report following the chemical odor incident and noted that EPA says that crews didn’t find detections “above the action level” on-site during its response.
“The EPA did not detect ethyl acrylate on-site during the response,” the agency revealed. “The railcar was flared while the contents polymerized. The PRP utilized a water blanket to cool the railcar. Once the reaction in the railcar was complete, the pressure in the railcar was at zero pounds per square inch, and only polymerized solids remained.”
However, the impact of the chemical leak in Orange County lingers. As of July 19, 24 people – with some suffering from respiratory issues and others from anxiety issues – were taken to Christus hospitals in Southeast Texas, 12NewsNow reported. Nine were taken to Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont.
“I got COPD and that just activated it worse. I couldn’t breathe and I still can’t breathe. It feels like something sitting on my chest. I keep coughing all the time. It’s really bad,” Ronnie Smith, an impacted resident, told the outlet.
“Somebody could have gotten killed, you know?” she added.
Legal and medical assistance may be available to those impacted by the chemical leak. The incident’s cause and responsible parties are being investigated and the first lawsuits regarding the leak were filed less than 24 hours after the incident, according to The Beaumont Enterprise.
If you need legal advice after the chemical leak in Orange County, please contact our firm at 602-222-2222 to discuss your unique circumstances with a member of our team in a free, no-obligation consultation. We handle cases nationwide and may be able to refer you to an appropriate partner if we are unable to assist you. Call today to learn more!
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