Texas Tech University

Spotlight: Experts Say Hurricane Harvey Unleashes Toxic Gumbo Into Texas Waterways

Robert Stanton

September 25, 2017

Sina - When it comes to major storms, Hurricane Harvey was an ecological worst-case scenario as it unleashed a deadly gumbo of chemicals and carcinogens into waterways in the southern U.S. state of Texas, according to experts.

The plants and refineries took a big hit from the storm, releasing deadly chemicals into the Houston Ship Channel and other Houston-area waterways, an expert told Xinhua.

Danny Reible, professor of Chemical Engineering at the Texas Tech University in Lubbock, expressed concern of such a catastrophe at the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

The concern is that "major storm events might cause exposure of contaminated sites or landfills with contaminated materials, or that a chemical facility might be damaged by a storm," said Reible.

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