HOUSTON METRO
Downpour left mysterious object, oil in backyard 
01:12 PM CST on Sunday, November 5, 2006
It's been two weeks since Houston's last downpour, but one family is still dealing with the aftermath.
KHOU-TV
The mysterious object is causing concern.
But it's not flooding -- it's oil.
It's coming from a mysterious object in their backyard, and the homeowners are worried it's putting their family in danger.
Bridget Gonzales has gone outside to see it at least a hundred times, but she still can't figure out what it is or why it was gushing oil.
"It's clearly old, it's not something we've done, and it's not something that we were aware of when we bought the property," she said.
But she was certainly aware of it after the downpour.
"We noticed the oil coming out of here, and it was spreading all through our yard," Gonzales said.
All over her yard, her dogs and even into her neighbor's backyard.
She can't say how much poured out from the hole, but she knows it was a lot.
"It really worried us that it was going to get into our water being in the yard," she said.
The oil is still visible in some parts, has burned others and it's smell is still lingering.
Gonzales called the health inspector, but they did not know what the mysterious object was or if the oil was dangerous.
The previous land owner never had a problem with it, so she never bothered to ask what it was.
"It concerns me because I still own the property across the street," Hattie Dietz said. "And if it's endangering our health, somebody really needs to do something about it."
But who needs to do something about it is unknown. The family said it's not their responsibility.
"I don't know what to do," Gonzales said. "It's not something that's affordable."
The city said it isn't theirs either.
11 News talked with Galveston County health inspector and the railroad commission, and they said they have taken a sample of the oil. They said it will be several weeks before they can find out if it's dangerous and where it's coming from.
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