HAZMAT cleanup underway in Nederland

Emergency response crews are still on scene Dec. 13, monitoring a transport trailer that has been leaking hazardous materials at Beauxart Garden Road near Highway 69 in Nederland since Dec. 12, reports City Manager Chris Duque.

The product seeping from the trailer is a mineral oil blend, known as Lubrizol 1389, that is used as a lubricant additive. It is reportedly producing low levels of hydrogen sulfide gas. Information from the city indicates that the leak is located around a pressure release device on the trailer.  

Gas monitoring is ongoing in the surrounding neighborhoods, and a road closure was still in place on Beauxart Garden Road as of 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 13. Vapor pressure and product temperature are factors in the cleanup effort. On Dec. 13, contractors had successfully installed and were operating equipment allowing vapors to pass through a scrubbing system. According to Duque at the time, the ongoing objective was to reduce vapor pressure through the scrubbing equipment and monitor product temperature. The vapors will then be scrubbed and deodorized, which “should resolve the odor issue associated with the leak,” Duque stated in a press release.

Emergency crews that have been on scene include Nederland Fire Department, emergency response teams from the manufacturer, environmental remediation teams and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

“We continue to ask everyone to avoid this area and for nearby residents to stay inside their home as much as possible,” Duque advised. The road closure remained in effect as of 12 p.m. on Dec. 14. “The operational period for this incident is currently unknown and has the possibility to last for several days.”

The city has requested that the responsible party, Nederland Tank Wash, set up a phone line for impacted residents. The number to the help line is (888) 442-4206. It became operational on Dec. 14 at noon.

(Updated Dec. 14 at 2:30 p.m.)