03/06/2025

After PBC Fire in Odessa, Landgraf Files Bill to Address Chemical Storage Near Texas Homes

KMID Midland/MSN | Erica Miller | Mar. 6, 2025

After PBC Fire in Odessa, Landgraf Files Bill to Address Chemical Storage Near Texas Homes

State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) has filed House Bill 3866, legislation designed to protect Texas homeowners from dangerous chemical containers being brought in and stored in their neighborhood.

The legislation comes in direct response to the July 2024 Permian Basin Container fire in northern Ector County, where a chemical storage facility that recently moved into a residential area went up in flames and sent hazardous smoke into nearby neighborhoods and contaminated groundwater sources relied upon by area residents. Due to the type of materials involved, the fire smoldered for days, prompting local and state agencies—including the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)—to coordinate air and water quality monitoring, distribute bottled water to affected residents, and conduct soil testing to protect public health.

It was dubbed an “environmental disaster” by people living in the area.

In a lawsuit filed last August in Ector County, lawyers for more than a dozen plaintiffs said, “On July 23, 2024, just before dawn, a fire erupted at the Permian Basin Containers site in northwest Odessa, Texas. Flames shot over a hundred feet in the air as explosion after explosion awakened nearby residents. Some immediately fled for their lives. Others tried to hold their ground, but the massive chemical fire left them no choice. Residents throughout the area were forced to evacuate. The blaze continued for days, but that was only the beginning.”

The lawsuit went on to describe the aftermath felt by residents in the area.

“People in the area of the fire began to notice a noxious smell in the air. It caused eyes to burn and tear up. Many experienced headaches and nausea, as well as strange sensations in their nose and throat. Worse yet, the chemical soup created by the fire and its aftermath was everywhere. The millions of gallons of water used to fight the fire drove a flood surge of hazardous wastewater throughout the surrounding neighborhood. An orange and black slick, more than a foot deep, rushed across property lines onto and into homes and cars, coating everything in between, eventually morphing into a ubiquitous black sludge. The chemical smell was overpowering. And yet, no one could answer the seemingly obvious question: What was it?”

These lawyers said the true dangers caused by the fire went “well beneath the surface”.

“In this part of Texas, water is a scarce resource. And perhaps, apart from oil and gas, it is the most valuable resource. In the community surrounding the Permian Basin Containers site, homes and businesses rely on well water as their primary source of potable water. These wells have now been ruined. The water applied to the fire scattered the chemical constituents formerly housed in plastic tanks at the site and drove them across the area and, ultimately, into the ground. The results have been disastrous. Well water throughout surrounding areas now presents as discolored with a foul odor.”

According to the suit, recent analytical tests have shown water wells in the area are now polluted with a laundry list of toxic compounds. These include: 

• 2-hexanone (a solvent that is considered a neurotoxin)
• acetone (a solvent that can cause birth defects)
• 1,3,5 and 1,2,4 Trimethylbenzene (TMB) (a byproduct of petroleum processing that is a fuel additive in gasoline)
• Naphthalene (an organic compound that can cause organ damage)
• Toluene (a solvent that can damage the central nervous system and cause developmental abnormalities)
• Xylene (a hydrocarbon that can cause neurological problems)
• Propylbenzene (a solvent that can cause severe respiratory effects)
• Butylbenzene (a corrosive chemical used to make insecticides)
• Isopropylbenzene (a volatile organic compound that is a known human carcinogen)
• and Ethylbenzene (a petroleum byproduct that is a known human carcinogen)

The report came as no surprise to residents who complained about the storage site for years prior to the fire.

Remarkably, residents in the area complained about the Permian Basin Containers site for years prior to the fire, the lawsuit stated. However, the complaints fell on deaf ears.

It’s that inaction that prompted Landgraf, who visited the site on multiple occasions and kept residents updated on cleanup efforts, to seek to make a change.

“No family should have to fear for their safety because hazardous chemicals are stored just a stone’s throw from their home,” Landgraf said. “This bill establishes a commonsense safety buffer for families living in unincorporated areas where zoning laws don’t exist to provide that protection.”

Under House Bill 3866, outdoor containers holding dangerous chemicals cannot be stored within 2,000 feet of a private residence that existed before the storage facility. To ensure compliance, these containers must be registered with TCEQ and will undergo annual inspections to verify they remain outside the 2,000-foot boundary. The bill also preserves local control, allowing cities to enforce or adopt even stricter regulations if they choose.

“This is about common sense and public safety,” Landgraf added. “I’ve worked closely with the people impacted by the PBC fire in its aftermath. I want to make sure no West Texas family—or any Texas family—has to experience what our community went through last summer.”