REFINERY RELEASE
Residents wake up to oil-laden fog
Exxon Mobil site in Baytown coats nearby homes and cars with lubricant
By DINA CAPPIELLOCopyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
The trucks, emblazoned with the names of environmental cleanup companies, arrived first, clogging the entrance of the Archia Courts public housing complex Tuesday morning.
By the time Judy Mixon's husband roused her from bed, 30 men, some carrying buckets and brooms, others wearing backpacks full of cleaning liquid, were spraying down the playground equipment, scrubbing aluminum siding and washing the caramel-colored oil splatter that coated residents' cars.
"You come out of your house, and they are cleaning, and you say 'Something ain't right,' " said Mixon, 38, who has lived in this 58-unit housing project across the street from Exxon Mobil's Baytown refinery for 14 years. "We are concerned about our health."
Living next door to an oil refinery comes with its share of noises, odors, and the glow of flares burning off gases. Numerous times, residents of Archia Courts have called to complain. But Tuesday, no one could recall anything like this.
"This is the worst one I have seen," resident Patricia Johnson said.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the agency in charge of protecting the public from pollution, said Exxon Mobil did not tell it that the incident had affected the community or of the cleanup, until Tuesday evening, well after residents had begun complaining to the company Monday morning.
"It doesn't appear that they have notified us," said Terry Clawson, an agency spokesman.
An Exxon spokeswoman said the company was busy gathering information, notifying neighbors and addressing local concerns.
"Being out there speaking to neighbors ... is as important as talking to the TCEQ," Jeanne Miller said. "We updated the TCEQ according to the regulations."
Earlier Tuesday, Archia Courts residents stood in the middle of Clyde Drive, clutching cordless phones and telephone books. Others held stacks of business cards from the parade of representatives they had met from Exxon Mobil in recent days. They had called so many numbers and talked to so many people about the oil-laden white fog that seeped into their neighborhood early Monday, they had lost track.
"They are trying to cover it up quick," said Bryan Dieudonne, standing in a huddle with his neighbors. "We've been breathing this stuff since Sunday."
Monday afternoon, hours after one of the residents called the company with a complaint, workers wearing jumpsuits and plastic gloves showed up. Some took samples from cars and collected water for testing from curbs, residents said. An industrial hygienist arrived before sunrise, tested the air for benzene and found no pollution, according to a company official.
Letter to residents
The letter from Exxon Mobil arrived Tuesday, the same day the Baytown Housing Authority, which owns the property, was notified. Addressed "Dear Neighbor," it said that process gas oil — a heavy, waxy lubricant closely related to crude oil — spilled from one of its heated storage tanks just across the road. When the spill occurred, "steam containing some oil was released from a vent and carried by wind over our fence."
"This event is disappointing and does not reflect the way in which ExxonMobil strives to operate," refinery manager Chris Erickson wrote.
The letter also stated that the company reported the spill "to the appropriate agencies and local authorities."
Donna Laurence, 46, whose back door faces the refinery, one of the country's largest, said the spill caused her house to tremble about midnight. Outside, she said, the mist was so thick she couldn't see through it.
The next morning, Johnson tried to drive to work, but the film on her windshield blurred her view. Mixon described it as a "white, thick fog with grease and a chemical smell."
Exxon Mobil said a review of the health effects of process gas oil shows that inhaling the droplets should not cause harm. However, the droplets may cause irritation if they get into a person's eyes.
The rumors swirling around Archia Courts on Tuesday sounded more dire: The workers, someone said, were removing contaminated gravel from underneath the swing set. Children shouldn't play outside. The oil released had benzene in it, which causes cancer.
Residents said Tuesday that they had had enough and wanted the company to purchase the land, much like it has bought out many of the other residences on the east side of the plant. "I would like to get out of here today if I could," Mixon said.
Cleaning it up
Exxon Mobil officials and the executive director of the Baytown Housing Authority said they were making progress toward a sale of the property. The question, they said, is where to move the residents.
In the meantime, the company is being responsible, said Bill Eiland, the housing authority's executive director.
"They contacted us letting us know it was taking place," Eiland said. "They are out trying to clean it up."
The cleanup, being performed by three contractors, was expected to be finished by sundown Tuesday.
"If they are not made whole, we will go out and take care of the problem," Miller said. "We are worried about inconveniencing these folks."
dina.cappiello@chron.com
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