A massive explosion at a Texas chemical plant left residents in Shepherd and surrounding communities under a shelter-in-place order on Wednesday, November 8, 2023. According to the San Jacinto County Office of Emergency Management, the incident took place at the Sound Resource Solutions factory, which made solvents for glue and paint removers.
The plant explosion triggered a chemical fire that engulfed the skies over the city in black smoke. In his statement, Geoff Harfield, the president of Sound Resource Solutions told local reporters that a "forklift incident" initiated the blast. However, he did not elaborate on the incident as it was under investigation.
"First responders have done an amazing job. They've been very cautious. They've made sure everyone is safe. I'm not worried about the business. All my people went home. That's what I care about," he added.
Following a preliminary investigation, San Jacinto County officials elaborated that an employee noticed a container leaking with chemicals and tried to use a forklift to lift the container.
Following the Texas chemical plant explosion, a stay-at-home order was issued over a 5-mile radius
Immediately after the explosion, a nearby private school on Farm-to-Market Road 1127 was evacuated. Emergency Management departments from nearby counties warned residents that airborne chemicals could have "acute toxicity."
According to the Polk County Emergency Management Office, these could cause "serious eye damage or eye irritation, skin corrosion or irritation, aspiration hazard, and organ toxicity."
Winds remained strong and thus a stay-at-home order was issued over a 5-mile radius around the Texas chemical plant. By 10:30 am, the order was reduced to a mile. Livingston Police Department even urged residents to turn off their HVAC Systems.
Sound Resource Solutions has been part of the Shepherd community since 2014 and employs about 40 workers from the area. In his statement, Geoff Harfield explained that one employee was injured and being treated for minor burns at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
"He’s with the right people and they’re taking care of him. He’s doing good – he was worried about us, so he’s doing good. He’s going to be home with his family this evening, so that’s good news."
A statement by the Sheriff's Office confirmed there were 19 people working at the Texas chemical plant, and no other injuries were reported. The fire was brought under control by 1:00 pm and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced that "no levels of concern have been detected" in the air quality.
Harfield acknowledged that the plant stored "hazardous materials" but ensured that they were "the type of material you probably have under your kitchen sink."
Additionally, in his interview, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers told reporters that it was diesel burning, with the possibility of turpentine and other chemicals igniting in the flames. However, Harfield refrained from speculating on the chemicals that were burning without investigation
The Texas chemical plant's president also ensured any remediation work that would be needed following the incident, would be done "in the right way."
No other statements were made regarding the incident at the time of writing this article.