DEER PARK, TX – The City of Deer Park’s emergency management team faced criticism after a system malfunction in its emergency alert protocol resulted in some residents not receiving timely notifications following a deadly chemical leak at a PEMEX facility. The incident resulted in the deaths of two workers and injuries to dozens more, prompting immediate shelter-in-place orders.
The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) attributed the notification lapse to technical faults within the CodeRED alert system. The team worked tirelessly to devise alternative methods for delivering alerts and eventually utilized a support phone number to reach affected residents.
The agency acknowledged the public’s frustrations, admitting that some alerts contained spelling and grammar errors or were sent multiple times. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed that a hydrogen sulfide release at the facility led to the fatalities and injuries, which occurred Thursday afternoon.
According to OEM representatives, the hazardous incident was confined within the PEMEX site off Highway 225, posing no additional danger to the surrounding community. PEMEX officials pinpointed the leak’s occurrence at 4:40 p.m. during maintenance work on a flange.
In response to the gas release, PEMEX conducted activities likely to include flaring. Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton Jr. stated the shelter-in-place directive was lifted by 9:30 p.m. after air monitoring indicated safety, though residual odors lingered.
The closure of Highway 225, near Beltway 8, compounded the initial chaos but was lifted after the situation was declared safe. Sheriff Gonzalez reported that the deceased workers’ remains were transported to the medical examiner’s office early the following morning.