Document jmDzKVNJz0EXrYrqD6Zx331ek

TO: Distribution Interoffice Communication FROM: DATE: SUBJ: T. G. Grumbles July 16, 1991 FORMOSA Some more publicity for our friends at Formosa. T. G. Grumbles dlj Distribution: T. H. Huffman, R. Flammer, R. Smith, C. Matson VVV 00000644-4 hovering if over plant i Formosa leak worries if., Point Comfort resident^ -------------------------- ., By Stephanie Class OF THE HOUSTON POST STAFF ** .. . 'c V Tina Traylor Watkins spotted the thicks white cloud hovering over her Poip\` Comfort property and called her parents," Dick and Sue. rf,`. ` Her father stepped out of his nearly' home to check it out and a minute.later.'he was on the phone calling Tina back, telling 1 - her to take her kids and leave. ... c ; Dick Traylor then videotaped what- would later turn out to be a 7,500-porjRd' cloud of hydrochloric acid that escaped, from the Formosa Plastics plant across The highway when a valve broke at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Then he called his two aunts, grabbed his wife and fled his home near die plant , that sits about 120 miles southwest of Houston on ^Lavaca Bay. No one called to warn them until they were long g^ne. "I was definitely scared, said Sue' Traylor. "My eyes were burning. There was a strange taste in my mouth, bitter. I stSQ have a metallic taste now." : . I- It would later be called a complete cqr$ . munications breakdown in the community warning system that the Taiwan-based manufacturer was supposed to follow, and Formosa's alleged failure to act quickly arid responsibly has one state agency recom*` mending a $25,000 fine. If imposed,'the fine would follow severs! . million dollars in federal and state fines Formosa has received over the years for administrative and environmental viola-* tions in their Point Comfort plant. Billy Zweirschke, the Calhoun County Emergency Management coordinator, said the First thing Formosa should have done- was dial 911. They never did. "A deputy in the city police department; observed the cloud while he sat in his car at; an intersection and called it in," Zwerschkdt saidl ` `That was the first information w had." f, !* r =4 Zwerschke's pager went off in the movK^ theatre. He dialed the sheriffs departmeri and was briefed. He called the fire de. ment from there and went to his office 1 . VI! -..... ..........Please see LEAK* A* : Formosa plant faces $2t ,000 EPA fine, From A-9 , the- tourthouse. He called Forirosa, where an employee told him what had leaked and where.- Zvrerschke and other county of ficiate started calling the handful of homes in the path of the cloud. "We knew everyone in the vi cinity of the area,!;,Zwerschke said. "Most had already seen it and left" In a news release Tuesday, For mosa officials claimed to. have warned everyone immediately. "The residents in the path of the release were phoned by the For mosa Plastics Security Department within five minutes of the release," the statement read. In fact, the Traylor family left their home 20 minutes after notic ing the cloud. The only warning message, on the answering ma chine came 20 minutes after that, at 8:10 p.m. It was not from For mosa. Tina was never warned. The Traylors did not hear from Formosa JJ-ntil more than, 24 hours later,n Wnen; company spokesman Joe Wyatt called Sue to see how she was. Formosa also neglected to call the State Emergency Response Center in, Austin, a division of the Texas Water Commission that han dlers of dangerous chemicals are required to call as soon as they see a spill. - Not only did Formosa not call state officials, but Marilyn Quere- jazu, an emergency response coor dinator, had to call Formosa. . "They should've reported it im mediately. They did not call and it is serious," Querejazu said Tues day. "It is a federal law and if vio lated, the state must ask by letter that the EPA (Environmental Pro- tection Agency) pursue penalties^ "We're putting that letter togeth er now and sending it to the legal division," she said. After calling Formosa, Querejazu did her own investigating. She found a witness who said ms'eyes burned while sitting in his airconditioned car 7 miles away. An other witness said the release last ed 33 minutes, twice what Formosa officials stated. Formosa officials are promising a full inspection of the system with the failed valve and have promised to replace six other valves with a similar functon. * c: - . They concede there were' prob lems with the warning system. "We did leam that there are pro cedures which we might adapt which might more fully protect the residents of this area," their state ment read.