Harris County Public Health Issued Shelter in Place after Active Chemical Leak at West Harris County Warehouse
Health & Science

Harris County Public Health Issued Shelter in Place after Active Chemical Leak at West Harris County Warehouse

February 12 2023

Update as of 2:03 PM CST, February 12, 2023

Harris County Public Health (HCPH) has now lifted the Shelter in Place (SIP) notification that was issued earlier this morning after an active Anhydrous Ammonia (ammonia gas) chemical leak.  The incident occurred at a 99 Cents Only Store distribution center in west Harris County located in the 23600 block of Colonial Parkway near Grand Parkway. 

Residents can stay informed by following ReadyHarris on social media: Twitter @ReadyHarris  and Facebook ReadyHarris. To learn more, please visit: www.hcphtx.org and www.cdc.gov.


Original Posting

Harris County Public Health (HCPH) has issued a Shelter in Place (SIP) after an active Anhydrous Ammonia (ammonia gas) chemical leak occurred early this morning at a 99 Cents Only Store distribution center in west Harris County located in the 23600 block of Colonial Parkway near Grand Parkway.

HCPH is working with its response partners at the local, state, and federal levels to monitor events related to the chemical leak and at this time, no injuries are reported. Our public health focus remains on the health and safety of the entire Harris County community.

For residents living in the area and out of an abundance of caution, the boundary for the SIP is a 2 square mile area:
  • Southern boundary: Kingsland Blvd between Hwy. 99 & S. Mason Rd.
  • Eastern boundary: Mason Rd. (N. & S. portions) from Kingsland Blvd. North to Mason Creek.
  • Northern boundary: Mason Creek between Hwy. 99 & N. Mason Rd.
  • Western boundary: Hwy. 99 between Kingsland Blvd. & Mason creek with a small section to the NW of the I-10 & 99 intersections between Colonial Pkwy. & Mercantile Pkwy. Extending westward to 23623 Colonial Pkwy. This area DOES NOT include Memorial Herman Katy Hospital.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define SIP as follows:
  • Get inside. Bring your loved ones, your emergency supplies, and when possible, your pets,
  • Find a safe spot in this location.
  • Stay put in this location until officials say that it is safe to leave.

HCPH will provide an update once the SIP has been lifted.

HCPH also continues to work with its healthcare partners and recommends that any individuals who live in the area and have health concerns should contact their healthcare provider, or if more serious, call 911.

If you do not have a healthcare provider, you can find a local health center near you at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov, or you can call the Harris Health System’s ‘Ask My Nurse’ helpline – open from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily – to help answer basic health questions. The number is 713-634-1110

For complaints resulting from the chemical leak or for general water or solid waste pollution complaints, please call the Harris County Pollution Control Services Department at 713-920-2831

HCPH reminds the public to continue to stay informed on this active chemical leak. Residents can also stay up to date by following ReadyHarris on social media: Twitter @ReadyHarris  and Facebook ReadyHarris. To learn more, please visit: www.hcphtx.org and www.cdc.gov
 
 

About Harris County Public Health

HCPH is the local public health agency for the Harris County, Texas jurisdiction. It provides a wide variety of public health activities and services aimed at improving the health and well-being of the Harris County community.

Source: Harris County Public Health



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