Houston business accused of leaking chemicals illegally into storm drains, hazmat investigates

HOUSTON - A business in east Houston is being investigated by local authorities, accused of leaking unknown chemicals or oils into storm drains.

"We’re conducting an environmental search warrant out at the property," said Sgt. Patrick Morrissey with the HPD Environmental Investigations Unit. "We’re going to be collecting evidence to find out what that discharge was and if it was potentially criminal in nature."

Numerous Houston police cars and firetrucks were outside the business Wednesday on Boyles Street. Much of the area along the block was closed for several hours for the investigation. Nearby workers from other businesses say they’ve never noticed anything unusual there before.

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"[We’re] totally surprised coming out here, seeing all of the traffic and HPD," said Emmitt Welch, a nearby worker.

Authorities could be seen wearing hazmat gear going in and out of the packaging company located only about a half mile from Buffalo Bayou which feeds into Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

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"It’s a chemical manufacturing facility," said Houston Fire Department Captain Jason Wilson from the Hazardous Materials Response Team. "Details beyond that, I’m not really sure what they are.  What also I’ve been told is that there has been some type of illegal discharge of those chemicals into the stormwater system. Which then affects the streams, lakes, rivers, bays, and things like that.  The food we eat. It also puts pressure on our stormwater system."

Just last week, Texas health officials issued a recall on oysters harvested in certain parts of Galveston Bay after some people got sick eating them. 

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"Everything drains to the bay," said Morrissey. "We’re doing this to prevent it from getting there. So, we can keep our waters clean. [That way, we can] keep our fish still able to be eaten, and our oysters still able to be eaten."

There’s no known link between the business on Boyles Street and the oysters recall. Right now, authorities are working to determine what chemicals and oils are leaking from the business and if they’re having any environmental impacts downstream.

"Hopefully, the other companies around here that are kind of in the same field, it will be a wakeup call," said Welch.