A liquid hydrocarbon release from a storage tank at Marathon Petroleum’s East-Central El Paso refinery on August 4 sent a strong sulfur smell drifting across several parts of the city, prompting a wave of resident complaints and renewed criticism from local officials over how slowly information reached the public. The hydrocarbons likely included some mix of gasoline, diesel fuel, or crude oil, according to details in the incident report.
Residents in Five Points and Manhattan Heights were among those who reported the odor, as the El Paso Times reported. In the Corbin Sambrano neighborhood, the fumes on the night of August 4 were described as undeniably strong. Marathon Petroleum, which operates the refinery, said the odor source was identified and that crews addressed the situation, and the company deployed community air monitoring as a precaution. That monitoring detected no readings indicating health risks, the company said.
Linda Favela said her family was kept awake that night by refinery alarms and sirens, and she said residents never received a notification explaining what was happening or what health precautions, if any, they should take. Favela had raised similar concerns in January, telling Texas Commission on Environmental Quality officials about frequent odors and fumes coming from the plant.
Commissioner Says His Office Waited 90 Minutes for Basic Facts
El Paso County Commissioner David Stout said his office took almost an hour and a half to learn what was actually happening at the refinery on the night of the release. He said the incident raised fresh concerns about inadequate information and transparency for both local officials and nearby residents. El Paso City Representative Josh Acevedo was also among the local officials tracking the incident as complaints mounted…