Undefeated Texas Plant Explosion Lawyers
An employee with Advantek Waste Management Services died tragically last Friday when an explosion rocked the company’s saltwater disposal facility in Westhoff, Texas.
Advantek Explosion Victim ID’d As Beeville Man
The Advantek plant explosion erupted sometime before 2:50 p.m. at a site located at 14009 US 87 in DeWitt County.
According to authorities, the resulting fire was “intense” and “did a lot of damage” despite being contained within an hour. Firefighters from departments in Westhoff, Yorktown, Nixon and Cuero were dispatched to the fire, and nearby residents were temporarily evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The deceased worker died in the fire and was pronounced dead at the scene. He has since been identified as a 41-year-old resident of Beeville.
It’s not clear what caused last week’s explosion. The DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Railroad Commission are among the agencies investigating the tragedy.
The Dangers of Saltwater Disposal Plants
Oilfields throughout Texas produce millions of gallons of saltwater, also known as “produced water” or “oilfield brine,” that must be disposed of safely at facilities like the Advantek plant in Westhoff. However, because the saltwater stored at such sites typically contains toxic and flammable substances, they are frequently the subject of controversy.
Some of the dangers potentially associated with saltwater disposal plants include:
Earthquakes
Following the removal of solids and oil, fracking wastewater is injected into a deep well for permanent storage underground. While rare, this disposal process has the potential to trigger earthquakes.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the largest earthquake induced by fluid injection was a magnitude 5.8 earthquake recorded in central Oklahoma on September 23, 2016. Researchers have also suggested that fracking and related activities could be behind a recent uptick in earthquake activity in several Texas counties located in the heart of the Permian Basin.
Fires and Explosions
While it’s too early to say what caused the Advantek plant explosion, the presence of volatile liquids and gases at most saltwater disposal facilities increases the risk of similar incidents. Any spark, including those generated by welding, other hot work, and even lightning strikes, could act as an ignition source.
Pollution
Saltwater disposal sites process large quantities of fluids daily, and the risks associated with transport, loading/unloading, storage and injection are numerous. Dangerous levels of pollution could result from a surface spill from a water truck at the site, or the integrity of the well could be compromised, resulting in pollution of the subsurface environment. Toxic emissions could also be generated by a fire or explosion, leading to evacuations such as those that followed the Advantek plant explosion.
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Our Undefeated Plant Explosion Lawyers are monitoring developments connected to the deadly Advantek plant explosion in Westhoff and will post an update if more information becomes available.
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