Overview
- The lawsuits follow a Dec. 27 structural failure at BWC’s Channelview facility, where a falling walkway punctured a sulfuric acid pipeline and released an estimated 1 million gallons.
- Tankerman Jeffery Lee Lawson alleges he was about 500 feet from the site, received no warnings, was enveloped by a gas cloud, and was later diagnosed with chemical exposure and lung inflammation.
- A second suit by Francisco Morfin claims he was kept at a nearby workplace for nearly three hours before leaving to seek emergency care, with his health evaluation ongoing.
- County officials said two people were hospitalized and released and 44 others were treated at the scene as the Coast Guard and local agencies responded and monitored air quality.
- BWC Terminals declined to comment on pending litigation and said most acid entered a containment area, with an unknown amount reaching the ship channel and the environmental impact still under assessment.