DALLAS (AP) – Tests detected toxic substances in soil, water and ash samples taken from residents’ property miles away from a Houston-area chemical plant that flooded during Hurricane Harvey, caught fire and partially exploded, according to a class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday.
The 15 residents named as plaintiffs link the toxins to products stored or made at Arkema Inc.’s facility in Crosby, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Houston, and say the releases violated environmental protection laws.
The residents fault Arkema and its France-based parent company for failing to take more precautions to control flooding – the plant is in a government-designated flood plain – and to fully warn them about the health risks of smoke and water from the site.
According to the lawsuit, one woman’s two daughters had respiratory trouble and headaches after moving back into their home, where the toxins were found. Another plaintiff, Shannan Wheeler, told The Associated Press that he found gooey black deposits in his flower beds and developed a thick, scaly rash while picking up grass clippings after mowing following the final fire.
“The third or fourth scoopful, I noticed the stinging, the tingling,” said Wheeler, noting that his doctor told him scarring was likely. “The next one was like, ‘Damn it.’ I thought I’d gotten in ants. It started getting red. I kept picking up. After two more, I said that’s enough, something’s wrong here.”