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WEB FIRST: Dow extends evacuees' hotel stay
Published November 1, 2009
FREEPORT — Residents evacuated from their homes while Dow Texas Operations deals with a urethane pipeline leak can expect to remain in area hotels for a while longer than first expected, company officials said Sunday.
Rain has added to the already marshy land on which workers are mucking around to fix the pipeline at Dow, delaying the company’s effort to repair the line and clear the site of any contaminated soil, officials said.
“Because of the rain and extra precautions we’re taking during the excavation, this will likely be an additional three to five days that they’re going to end up needing to stay in the temporary locations where they are now,” Dow Vice President and Texas Operations site director Gary Hockstra told The Facts during an interview Sunday afternoon.
Since the leak was found, monitors tracking the leak say they have found no emissions on Dow property or in the nearby neighborhood.
About 65 Freeport families have been in area hotels since Wednesday after being told of a leak in a pipeline carrying toluene diisocyanate, a urethane used in the production of cushions like mattresses and pillows.
They were sharing the news with the evacuated families through a pair of meetings Sunday afternoon, though Dow officials said they have been keeping residents informed about developments throughout the evacuation. The company declined to say where the families are staying or allow media to attend the meetings as part of an understanding between Dow and the evacuees.
Displaced residents will have the opportunity to return briefly to their homes on a special needs basis in the next couple of days to take care of any issues caused by the delay in returning, Hockstra said.
Crews continue to work on the pipeline around the clock and will be making the necessary repairs in the next few days, he said.
Erin McKeon is a reporter for The Facts. Contact her at 979-237-0152.
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