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KATY, Texas - A warehouse leak at the 99 Cents Only store in west Harris County created quite a scare early Sunday morning.
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Details are limited, as it's an active scene, so it's unclear exactly what caused the leak, but the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office responded to the 23600 block of Colonial Pkwy in Katy at a 99 Cents Only story where it was reported.
According to a press release by the Harris Co. Public Health, a shelter-in-place was issued following what they described as an ammonia gas chemical leak. Out of an abundance of caution, authorities were encouraging residents living in and out of a 2-square-mile area.
The SIP was lifted a little before 1 p.m. after readings showed "no ammonia in the area."
Jennifer Hadayia, Executive Director of Air Alliance Houston, issued the following statement:
We are thankful that there were no reported major health impacts or injuries from today's chemical leak in Katy, TX. We also want to acknowledge the coordinated response from our local officials, in particular: Harris County Public Health, Harris County Pollution Control Services, and the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Here in Houston, we typically think of the large chemical plants and other TRI (Toxic Release Inventory) facilities as the primary source of a potential leak of harmful substances such as anhydrous ammonia. While this is certainly true, today's event is a sobering reminder that strong prevention, response, and real-time air monitoring are essential for all types of facilities.
We look forward to seeing the results of the investigation into today’s event and the data on continued air monitoring in the Katy community.
We urge anyone who experiences symptoms of ammonia exposure to seek medical attention. Ammonia air pollution can cause respiratory symptoms, eye irritation, nose and throat irritation, or shortness of breath.
In closing, while we commend the agency response today, this is also a good example of why a real-time notification system for chemical emergencies is a "must-have" for our community. Each new chemical incident highlights the need for better overall emergency response and a central public notification system, such as what already exists for severe weather or missing people.
This is a developing story and will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.