Trump sends Harvey aid request to Congress; chemical plant burns

President Donald Trump has sent lawmakers a $7.9 billion request for an initial down payment for Harvey relief and recovery efforts.

The request, expected to be swiftly approved by Congress, would add $7.4 billion to rapidly dwindling Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster aid coffers and $450 million to finance disaster loans for small businesses.

The initial Harvey package is just the first installment for immediate disaster response like housing assistance, cleanup and FEMA-financed home repairs. The White House says more than 436,000 households have registered for FEMA aid.

The request also reiterates the need for Congress to increase the government’s $19.9 trillion borrowing limit by the end of this month. Republicans are signaling that they may link the unpopular debt limit increase to Harvey relief.

Flames shoot up from chemical plant

Thick black smoke and towering orange flames shot up Friday after two trailers of highly unstable compounds blew up at a flooded Houston-area chemical plant, the second fire there in two days.

Arkema says Harvey’s floodwaters engulfed its backup generators at the plant in Crosby and knocked out the refrigeration necessary to keep the organic peroxides, used in such products as plastics and paints, from degrading and catching fire. Arkema executive Richard Rennard said two containers caught fire Friday evening, and that there are six more it expects will eventually catch fire.

EPA spokesman David Gray said that preliminary analysis of the data captured by the agency’s surveillance aircraft Friday did not show high levels of toxic airborne chemicals. No serious injuries were reported in the last two days as a result of the fires.

Texas A&M chemical safety expert Sam Mannan said that the height and color of the flames from the plant Friday suggested incomplete combustion of the organic peroxides. With complete combustion, he said, the byproduct is carbon dioxide and water, posing about the same amount of risk as standing too close to a campfire. But incomplete combustion implies something else is burning.

A 1½ mile buffer around the plant was established Tuesday when Arkema Inc. warned that chemicals kept there could explode. Employees had been pulled, and up to 5,000 people living nearby were warned to evacuate. Officials remain comfortable with the size of the buffer, Rachel Moreno, a spokeswoman for the Harris County Fire Marshal Office, said Friday evening.

Meteorologist praised for timely updates

Harris County residents have been calling meteorologist Jeff Lindner a hero for his frequent updates throughout Harvey and its flooding aftermath.

A Houston man set up a GoFundMe page to send him on a vacation, noting that the Harris County Flood Control District meteorologist had likely saved lives by announcing recommended and mandatory evacuations and updates about reservoir releases, breached levees and rising floodwater projections.

But Harris County rules prevent its employees from taking gifts worth more than $100. Lindner writes on Twitter that he was “blown away” by the campaign, and notes he was “doing his job.”

The campaign had raised more than $13,000 in its first day from close to 400 people, some commenting that Lindner helped them evacuate and saved lives.

The campaign’s host says he has talked to Lindner and will donate the proceeds to flood relief at Lindner’s request.

More oil spills reported

Oil companies have reported two more spills in Texas caused by Harvey’s floodwaters, including one estimated at up to 1,500 barrels.

The Texas Railroad Commission said Friday that Denbury Onshore LLC had notified the agency of an oil spill in Brazoria County that occurred when a storage tank overflowed.

The company said the Wednesday accident near Friendswood spilled between 200 barrels (8,400 gallons) and 1,500 barrels (63,000 gallons) of crude. Some of the fuel flowed into an underground storm drainage system that empties into tributaries of Cedar Creek.

Denbury spokesman John Mayer says most of the oil remained on the company’s property.

A second spill was reported by Linn Operating LLC and involved an unknown amount of oil from a battery of storage tanks in Montgomery County.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Water troubles in Beaumont

City officials in Beaumont, Texas, have revealed few details about plans to bring back municipal water service since Harvey’s floodwaters knocked out their pumps.

But a spokeswoman for ExxonMobil described how the company said Friday that a team that included Exxon engineers built and installed a temporary intake pipe to the city treatment plant. Exxon has a refinery and chemical plants in Beaumont.

Exxon’s Ashley Alemayehu said the company’s emergency response team was already in place, and that helping the city made sense.

Alemayehu said water started pumping late Thursday night. She said a little water is flowing to homes because the city is refilling reservoirs, but it has not yet fully turned on water again.

City officials did not return phone calls from The Associated Press. A news release said a boil order is still in effect.