ODESSA, Texas — Folks in northwest Odessa have felt the impacts of the fire at Permian Basin Containers that happened on Tuesday, July 23.
While there is still no cause, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is on-site and investigating.
As the massive chemical and plastic fire blazed on the PBC site, questions also flared up over the impact it could have in the area.
“It’s a terrible situation but we’re here to help," said State Representative Brooks Landgraf. "Even though we have more questions than answers, we’re doing everything that we can – I don’t want anyone to feel like they’re alone out there.”
Residue in the front yard was the case for at least one man’s family.
“One day to the next, boom...everything changes man," said Mark Rodriguez, a resident in the area. "It’s a big change, a big change.”
While the TCEQ has not registered harmful air quality during daily testing due to the residue, it has still caused some sickness.
“My wife actually got nauseated [and] was throwing up, my oldest son...got not nauseated and was throwing up, I got light-headed and I actually finally figured out every time I come out of there I get real thirsty, like dehydrated, if i stay there for 10, 15, 20 minutes," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said they are staying in a hotel during cleanup efforts. His water well also got contaminated, leaving a brown liquid coming out of his faucet.
The TCEQ is continuing to investigate the conditions in the area.
“The investigation is going to tell us the extent of the problem and the sources of all the residue, the materials, the chemicals [and] whatever," Landgraf said. "Right now, it’s just kind of this soup that could have come from a lot of different sources. I think the investigation’s going to bear out -- especially as lab testing is done on substances that are collected at the site, I think we’ll have a better picture.”
For now, the picture is not pretty – nor is the smell – but the owner of the property where the fire took place is helping be a part of the solution.
“Obviously there needs to be a lot of remediation, which is just a fancy word for cleaning up the mess, and, so far, they have been cooperating with TCEQ in cleaning up the mess," Landgraf said. "They do have a remediation plan in place, and TCEQ has told us that as long as they continue to clean up the mess – in a timely manner – that that’s going to be acceptable.”
Landgraf added that the hope is to get residents back to their homes as soon as they can and the area in the condition that it was before the fire occurred.
The American Red Cross continues to help those who have been impacted by the situation.