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Texas Reaches $12.6 Million Settlement On 2019 Port Neches Chemical Blast

"The settlement directs TCP Group to repair equipment and to pay $12.6 million in penalties for clean air violations at its Southeast Texas facility."

"Texas reached a $12.6 million settlement with TPC Group over environmental violations related to the November 2019 explosions at the company’s Port Neches chemical plant, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday.

The settlement requires TPC Group to repair or replace its equipment and to pay $12.6 million in penalties for violations of state emissions laws at the company’s Port Neches plant after the 2019 blast.

The explosions the day before Thanksgiving 2019 prompted the evacuations of more than 50,000 people from the area — about 100 miles east of Houston. The blasts spewed more than 11 million pounds of hazardous substances, causing more than $130 million in offsite property damage and additional impacts to human health and the environment, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Texas sued TPC Group in 2020, alleging that the company continued to operate its plant in Port Neches despite knowing that the facility had issues and for violating emissions limits even after the blast. The state also alleged that the Houston-based company violated clean air laws multiple times from January 2018 to September 2019."

Kayla Guo reports for the Texas Tribune November 22, 2024.

Source: Texas Tribune, 11/26/2024