(Houston, TX) Houston attorneys, Mo Aziz and Karl Long of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner and James Bradley of the Bradley Law Firm, represent Luxe Point Homes, LLC, Jesus Gil and Yessica Gil related to the November 27, 2019, explosion and subsequent fire at TPC Group’s Port Neches plant.
In the early morning hours of November 27, 2019, Jesus Gil, Yessica Gil and their family were asleep at home when an explosion around 1:00 a.m. jolted them awake. The force of the explosion from TPC Group’s Port Neches plant sent flames shooting into the sky, shattered windows, blew-out doors and caused extensive damages to homes in the area surrounding the plant. Following the explosion and fire, a mandatory evacuation order was issued to tens of thousands of residents in a 4-mile radius of the plant, because of the presence of butadiene in the air. Butadiene is considered a health hazard according to the US National Library of Medicine.
Plaintiffs Jesus Gil, Yessica Gil and their company, Luxe Point Homes, LLC own a number of properties in the 4-mile mandatory evacuation zone and each of the properties sustained damage as a result of the explosion.
TPC Group’s Port Neches chemical plant has been considered a high priority violator by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for more than two years and has a years-long history of state and federal environmental violations. The EPA and TCEQ have fined TPC Group more than half a dozen times in the past five years.
“This explosion and environmental release highlights the need for regulation and oversight to protect local communities and first responders, such as those enacted after the West Fertilizer tragedy in 2013. In the face of a rising number of fires and explosions with offsite consequences, the regulatory framework has been made less stringent despite an increase in the number of chemical industry incidents in Texas,” according to attorney Mo Aziz.
For questions regarding the lawsuit, please contact Madison Kauffman at (713) 222-7211 or by e-mail at [email protected].