Title
Consideration of and action on an ordinance ratifying the City Manager's implementation of the emergency pay period in response to the fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company.
Body
Summary:
On Sunday, March 17, 2019 at approximately 10:00 AM, Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) experienced a fire in one of their tank farms at 1943 Independence Parkway South. Not knowing what chemical was involved, the City issued a Shelter-In-Place at approximately 11:21 AM that morning. ITC did not issue a press release to identify the chemical(s) burning until 3:30 PM that afternoon when the chemical was identified as Naphtha, a component of gasoline. The Shelter-in-Place was kept in place until the following morning, March 18, 2019, at 6:00 AM. During the Shelter-In-Place, State Highway 225 from Beltway 8 to Independence Parkway was closed.
Throughout the week, ITC, the City, and several other agencies conducted air monitoring activities as the fire spread to nearby tanks and continued to burn. On Thursday, March 21, 2019, the City issued a second Shelter-in-Place following reports of action levels of benzene or other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) within the City limits. State Highway 225 was also closed from Beltway 8 to Miller Cut-Off Road. City offices were closed until 1:00 PM that afternoon.
Due to the threat of the ITC fire, the City of Deer Park's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was in operation from Sunday, March 17, 2019 from 10:00 AM through Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at 3:00 PM. The City Manager has implemented two emergency pay periods as follows:
* Sunday, March 17, 2019 from 10:00 AM through Monday, March 18, 2019, at 6:00 AM
* Thursday, March 21, 2019, from 3:00 AM through 1:00 PM
Additionally, as approved by the City Manager, personnel working in an EOC or outside of their normal duties to support EOC operations, were paid under the emergency pay policy for the entirety of the period, Sunday, March 17, 2019 from 10:00 AM through W...
Click here for full text