INGLESIDE — Some residents say that a diesel scent is pretty much a daily occurrence, but now they say there’s a more pungent smell and they fear it could be coming from local oil facilities.
Residents first started to notice the smell around four in the afternoon on Monday. Some are worried that the Moda Ingleside Energy Center may be to blame for gas emissions.
However, in a statement the company provided to us, they say they work closely with leadership in communities in their area to ensure open communication.
“Our equipment has state-of-the-art technology to mitigate or eliminate emissions,” the statement said.
Residents also raised concerns that the smell could affect their health.
“Obviously the lungs…and I think there’s…you can see that your brain and there’s all kinds of skin irritations…people with asthma, I mean they would have a very difficult time…so there’s a multitude of problems health wise,” Patrick Nye, a resident of Ingleside on the Bay said.
Residents say the coronavirus is not the only thing that is keeping them inside.
“As soon as I walked out the fumes hit you, your eyes water, and your throat is scratchy…and you don’t stay out very long and so we came right back in…and then our neighbors started complaining along with us,” Nye said.
“It’s a very toxic environment in terms of just the shipping alone,” Brad Mayes, another resident said.
Residents say that if the smell is coming from oil work, then they are not the only ones at risk.
“The seagrass…there’s about four different types here. And what it does it’s the spawning ground for many many fish species throughout the whole bay…the trap, the red fish, drum, flounder, shrimp, crab,” Nye said.
Some residents say they have contacted the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality but are waiting to hear back.
TCEQ conducted an investigation on Monday and is in the process of being completed. They did not receive any complaints of the odor on Tuesday.
