At 10:12 p.m. Aug. 15, the Lubrizol facility, a specialty chemicals provider, in Deer Park released an organic sulfur vapor, resulting in a foul odor. The sulfur material is used to odorize natural gas to make leaks more easily detectable due to the sulfur's strong scent, according to a Lubrizol statement.
Lubrizol teams were preparing a railcar for unloading, which included safely heating the car to prepare stored materials for transfer. Lubrizol is investigating why the material began to break down, resulting in the odor, according to the statement.
As of the morning of Aug. 16, odors are mostly dissipated, and any remaining odors will subside, the statement reads.
League City has no shelter-in-place order in effect. The smell may irritate throats and eyes, but no actionable health threat levels have been detected by Harris County or League City air monitors, according to a League City news release.
