Exxon Mobil Oil Spills as 'Harvey' Floods over Levee

Flood waters from Tropical Storm Harvey overflowed into an oil storage field near Beaumont, Texas, spilling oil onto a nearby road.

The oil field is contained by a levee that flood waters breached Saturday afternoon. “The levee for the refinery is at 10 feet,” and water has gone over it, Exxon Mobil spokeswoman Ashley Alemayehu told the Beaumont Enterprise.

She said the oil overflowed and created a “sheen” of oil on the county-owned roadway that runs between the Exxon Mobil and Arkema facilities leading to the Neches River.

The company deployed emergency response teams to address the spill. The chemical plants stand on high enough ground to remain dry.

In a separate incident, an Arkema plant in Crosby, Texas, located northeast of Houston, turned into a raging inferno after chemicals overheated when the plant lost power. The fumes from the fires are not toxic but can cause a burning sensation in the eyes and throat, KTRK ABC13 reported.

It appears from initial reports, the company may have waited too long to evacuate refrigerated trucks containing the chemicals that become unstable when warmed. The company had two backup systems to provide power to cooling systems — both failed.

“Clearly that wasn’t enough,” Arkema safety expert Darryl Roberts told reporters. “Clearly, as we go forward we will do something different.”

It is not known how long the fires will continue or how many explosions could occur. Officials said there are nine containers with 500,000 pounds of material in the plant. At least three of the containers have caught fire.

Water continues to surround the plant making it difficult to assess spillage.

At least 18 people suffered injuries from the explosions and subsequent fires.