DAYTON – Residents in a rural Liberty County community fear they are at risk from an oil spill. Those who live in the area say it started last year and now the problem has gotten out of hand.
“I think we are all at risk in this community. Our children, themselves. And it’s very bad here,” said resident Amaris Argueta.
Argueta and her husband Fernando Garcia spoke of crude oil spilling everywhere on their 10 hectares of land and throughout their small community.
The couple says that in September, they damaged a production line while trying to clean up the property.
They called Jay Management Company which owns the mineral rights.
“A pipe was broken and we notified them. They never came to fix it,” Argueta said.
Residents say the problem has worsened over time, seeping into their drainage system and well water.
They say the broken pipes are rusted and haven’t been fixed in years.
“We are worried. But this is the only place we have to live.” said Argueta.
KPRC 2’s Re’Chelle Turner spoke with an expectant mother in the area who says the company blocked the county road and locked gates around the community.
“I’m a high-risk pregnancy and I started having contractions on Monday. There was no way out,” she said.
One farmer was able to point to cloudy brown water that they believe was mixed with the oil their cattle are drinking.
“I have a farm with cows and two of them died a few weeks ago,” said Jose Sotelo.
In a statement, the Railroad Commission of Texas says:
“On January 29, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office notified the RRC of a crude oil spill and inspectors were dispatched. It appears that the landowner damaged a production line while clearing the land. Liberty County emergency officials deployed booms along the affected drains and vacuum trucks at the location.
The lease operator (Jay Management Company) has taken over cleanup operations, with additional containment booms placed along the impacted drains and vacuum trucks to strip and remove the oil. The operator has crews to remove oily vegetation, debris and remediate affected soil. RRC field inspectors are monitoring and documenting cleanup activities until cleanup is complete to ensure the environment and residents are safe.”
“They’re just starting to move today,” Argueta said.
The couple say they are now being sued by the company that blamed them for the spill.
“Like $250,000 in damages,” the couple said. “To be honest, what they’re causing us is a lot more than what they’re trying to sue us for.”
KPRC 2 reached out to operator Jay Management Company several times, but did not receive a response. Residents say they plan to seek legal action.
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