Nearly one million gallons of sulfuric acid leaked from an industrial facility in Channelview, Texas, early Saturday morning, with some of the chemical flowing into the Houston Ship Channel.

The incident happened at around 1:40 a.m. at BWC Terminals’ Jacintoport facility on Jacintoport Boulevard, east of Houston.

Authorities said an elevated catwalk collapsed, damaging a 6-inch sulfuric acid pipeline connected to a 25,000-barrel storage tank holding the chemical.

Initial reports described the incident as an explosion, but officials later confirmed that no explosion occurred.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said the tank involved contained about one million gallons of spent sulfuric acid. She explained that most of the chemical was captured within the facility’s containment system, but an unknown amount entered the ship channel.

According to her, the main concern from the incident is potential environmental impact rather than immediate danger to the public.

As a result of the leak, two people were taken to hospital with respiratory issues and were later released. In total, 44 people were checked at the scene, including workers and crew members from two vessels docked nearby.

Officials said everyone who was evaluated was released after medical checks.

Emergency crews considered evacuating nearby areas but decided it was not necessary, as there are no residential neighbourhoods or recreational areas close to the facility.

Authorities secured a perimeter around the site and put traffic controls in place on Sheldon Road and Jacintoport Boulevard to protect nearby businesses and plant operations.

Officials said air and water quality monitoring began immediately and is continuing. So far, measurements have not shown any impact on surrounding communities, and there have been no reported effects on marine life.

Authorities also confirmed that the Houston Ship Channel remains open, and ships continue to move through the area.

BWC Terminals said all employees were safe and accounted for. The company added that it is working to determine how much sulfuric acid entered the water, a process expected to take several days.

It said emergency response teams and regulators remain on site and that it is cooperating with authorities to manage the situation and limit environmental harm.

Several agencies are involved in the response, including the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office, Channelview Fire Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Officials said the cause of the incident is still under investigation.

References: fox26houston, houstonpublicmedia