Over 40 treated amid sulfuric acid leak at industrial facility near Houston, officials say

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas -- A sulfuric acid leak at an industrial plant in southeast Texas sent two people to the hospital and led to over 40 people being treated, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies said the incident began around 2 a.m. on Saturday at the BWC Terminals facility when a catwalk structure collapsed onto a 6-inch sulfuric acid supply line at the industrial plant near Channelview.

The Channelview Fire District, which led the hazmat response, said crews were sent to the 16300-block of Jacintoport Boulevard.

The sheriff's office said two people with breathing problems were taken to the hospital, and people from two ships docked at the San Jacinto Port were checked at the scene.

ABC Houston affiliate KTRK captured what appeared to be the damaged scaffolding that officials said caused the leak.

In an update later that morning, Judge Lina Hidalgo said environmental monitoring was underway after about 1 million gallons of sulfuric acid stored in a tank were released, with some leaking into the Houston Ship Channel.

BWC Terminals later clarified in a statement that the affected tank was carrying 1 million gallons, but most of it was released into the facility's designated containment area. The company added that an unknown amount of product entered the water of the Houston Ship Channel and that there were no reported impacts on marine life.

Hidalgo also said that the two people sent to the hospital had already been released, and that 44 others were treated at the scene.

The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office said it was also on the scene and monitoring air quality after several reports of people feeling sick and having trouble breathing.

The sheriff's office said there was no danger to the public because the leak was limited to the industrial area, so a shelter-in-place order was not needed.

Deputies said the Houston Ship Channel remained open, but some nearby roads were closed to let emergency vehicles get through.

Investigators said chemical spills like this are rare, but the companies involved have "some of the best" hazmat teams to handle such situations.

Deputies told KTRK the leak was stopped a little after 6 a.m.

Judge Lina Hidalgo said an investigation into the leak is underway.