Natural Resource Damage Assessment Plan for ITC Tank Fire Oil Spill Out for Public Comment

OCTOBER 25, 2021 ─ On October 8, 2021 NOAA and our co-trustee partners released a Natural Resource Damage Assessment Plan  to guide assessment activities related to releases of oil and other contaminants at the ITC Tank Fire site in Deer Park, Texas. 

Damaged tank farm.
Members of the 2nd 80’s Response Unified Command remove product from damaged tanks at the ITC Deer Park facility on March 27, 2019 near La Porte, Texas. Image credit: USCG.

The public is encouraged to comment on the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Plan through November 8, 2021 by submitting comments via email to Rita Setser at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality at ritasetser@tceq.texas.gov 

On Sunday March 17, 2019, a storage tank caught fire engulfing much of the Second 80’s tank battery at the Intercontinental Terminals Company, LLC (ITC) Deer Park facility. This fire caused a catastrophic breach. An estimated 470,000 – 523,000 barrels of a mixture containing fire water, different firefighting foams, and oil products spilled from the tanks and into the environment. 

The purpose of this Natural Resource Damage Assessment Plan is to help guide what methods the trustees will use to determine how natural resources were injured by pollution. This will ultimately help NOAA and our co-trustee partners identify what restoration may be needed to heal the environment to its original state. 

For more information please contact Bryand.Duke@noaa.gov.    

Last updated Tuesday, November 8, 2022 1:42pm PST