Shelter In Place Order Lifted In Deer Park

DEER PARK, TX — Deer Park officials have lifted the shelter in place order for residents in Deer Park, while the order remains in effect for residents in nearby Galena Park.

A shelter in place order was issued for the entire city of Deer Park and Galena Park after high levels of benzene were detected at the ITC facility at about 2:45 a.m. Thursday, which was the site of a massive fire this week.

Officials advised residents to stay indoors, shut off their air conditioning or heating units, and close fireplace dampers to minimize exposure to the benzene.

"Given out very conservative air quality standards, we are at a level where out of an abundance of caution there should be a shelter in place, which the City of Deer Park has announced," said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. "Outside of that immediate area, we are not seeing any elevated readings right now."

The City of Galena Park also issued a shelter in place order was issued after the alert was sent out from ITC in Deer Park.

The City of Galena Park is issuing a Shelter-in Place out of an abundance of caution. Galena Park ISD is closed today. We are actively monitoring the air quality and will continue to monitor the situation at ITC in Deer Park.
Respectfully,
Esmeralda Moya, Mayor
— City of Galena Park (@CityGalenaPark) March 21, 2019

Local school districts canceled classes for the second day in the row as a result of the ITC fire. Those school districts include:

• Deer Park
• Galena Park
• Sheldon
• Channelview
• La Porte
• Pasadena
• San Jacinto College

Meanwhile, transportation officials also closed State Highway 225 between Beltway 8 and State Highway 146

The leak was the result of the fire that raged at the ITC facility in Deer Park for nearly four days. The fire was extinguished Wednesday, but experienced a flare up hours later.

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