Texas Reaches $12.6M Settlement in 2019 Chemical Plant Explosion

Texas reached a $12.6 million settlement with TPC Group over environmental violations related to the November 2019 explosions at the company’s Port Neches chemical plant, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday.

The State’s lawsuits alleged that even after the explosion, TPC failed to comply with Texas air laws, operating equipment that did not meet the requirements of the company’s air permits. The State’s settlement in the Port Neches case requires TPC to repair or replace its equipment. The company also will pay penalties and fees of $12.6 million for the violations that took place after Dec. 16, 2022. 

On Nov. 27, 2019, two explosions at TPC Group’s Port Neches, TX, facility resulted in evacuations of thousands of residents of Port Neches and surrounding areas, released more than 11 million pounds of extremely hazardous substances, and caused more than $130 million in offsite property damage and other impacts to human health and the environment.

Four employees and one contractor suffered injuries including concussions, burns, perforated eardrums, tinnitus, and cracked teeth.

TPC Group’s Port Neches facility produced the chemical Butadiene, which is used in the production of tires, latexes, and plastics. Butadiene can form a “popcorn polymer,” which can grow at an accelerating rate and cause catastrophic events, including explosions and fires. The company was aware that this polymer was forming in some of its production lines, and the risks it posed, but failed to take necessary measures to prevent the explosion.

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Texas sued TPC Group in 2020, alleging that the company continued to operate its plant in Port Neches despite knowing that the facility had issues and for violating emissions limits even after the blast. The state also alleged that the Houston-based company violated clean air laws multiple times from January 2018 to September 2019, reported the Texas Tribune.

In a statement, TPC Group said that it was “working closely” with the Texas Commission on Environment Quality and the attorney general’s office to ensure its compliance with the state’s emission limits. The company described “operational challenges caused by custom emission control units” that it installed while converting the Port Neches plant after the explosion, the Texas Tribune article added.