TEXAS CITY, Texas — The City of Texas City issued a shelter-in-place order for the area south of the Marathon Galveston Bay Refinery to the Texas City Y Sunday morning because of a "temporary increase in sulfur dioxide emissions."
The city lifted the shelter-in-place order at around noon. No residential areas were impacted by the order and Marathon Petroleum said there were no injuries reported.
According to Marathon, there was an "operational upset" at its Galveston Bay Refinery that temporarily increased sulfur dioxide emissions.
Read the company's updated full statement:
"Marathon Petroleum personnel at the company’s Galveston Bay Refinery have resolved an operational upset that had led to a temporary increase in sulfur dioxide emissions earlier today. Emissions have returned to normal levels. There were no injuries. The City of Texas City has lifted a shelter-in-place that it had issued for an area south of the refinery."
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, short-term exposure to sulfur dioxide can impact people's respiratory systems and make breathing difficult. People with asthma are sensitive to the effects of sulfur dioxide, especially children. At high concentrations, it can damage trees and plants.
The city first posted about the shelter-in-place at 9:15 a.m.
