According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the fire that occurred at a Sherwin-Williams plant in Garland on Aug. 7 has resulted in water runoff and foam retardant from the facility’s fire suppression system entering the storm drains and surrounding creeks. Work is ongoing to remediate the issues caused by the runoff and to cleanup any remaining foam.
A dam has been constructed and water is being pumped out of impacted creeks to mitigate the spread of potential contaminants. Twenty-seven tanks have already been filled with more than 600,000 gallons of potentially impacted water. More tanks are expected to be filled over the next few days. Water sampling is ongoing, and the sampling results will be posted when available.
No major impacts to public health have been identified at this time while some dead fish have been observed in the impacted creeks. The public is advised to not fish or have contact with these creeks while contaminant testing and cleanup activities continue.
Impacted creeks span approximately 17.4 water miles, beginning near the intersection of Shiloh and Miller Roads and extending to the East Fork Trinity River. A map showing the path of the impacted creeks is being regularly updated on the EPA’s incident website.
As a precaution, the EPA has activated the Poison Control Center for this incident. If you are feeling unwell and believe that it is the result of contact with an impacted creek, please call 1-800-222-1222 for expert guidance. This is a free and confidential service that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.