Port Neches residents file lawsuits, claims against TPC as debris settles

PORT NECHES, Texas - After the TPC plant explosions last week, about 100 claims representatives canvassed neighborhoods on Tuesday, assessing damages in the Port Neches area.

TPC officials say more than 4,000 neighbors of the chemical plant have filed damage claims so far. FOX 26 visited some of those neighbors on Tuesday. 

One man found strange debris in his yard.

Thomas Jordan found a gray blob in his front yard less than half a mile from the TPC chemical plant after he returned home from evacuating last week.

"We’re finding similar samples throughout the front yard and the back yard," he said.

He’s not sure what it is, but he showed it to the insurance adjuster as he assessed damage to the home on Victor Drive.

Over on Texas Avenue a quarter-mile from the scene of the explosion, Brian Lange is still waiting on a claims representative to assess his damage.

“The front door, the deadbolt, it’s unlockable," he said. “The ceiling is cracked that way and this way. It broke the window and pushed it in.”

With all the damage, he says he’s anxious to get answers after making several calls to the TPC claims line.

“I feel frustrated, you know," he said.

He’s one of about 100 Port Neches area residents who have filed one of several class-action lawsuits against TPC.

“It’s for the asbestos that was in the air," said Lange. "My wife has a sore throat, runny nose, her eyes were burning.”

Bill Ogden is with the firm representing Lange after TCEQ tests showed VOCs in the air reached more than 6-parts-per million.

“Everybody’s windows that were blown out—what was in the air then went into your house, and so your AC units, your vents, and your ducts probably need to be cleaned—your drapes and furniture, if you didn’t have windows, and your house was exposed to the atmosphere," he explains.

Those who have damage and haven’t yet submitted an insurance claim can do so through the Community Assistance Helpline at 866-601-5880.