Aug. 19--Valero Houston Refinery did not warn the Manchester community to stay indoors when a fire erupted at the plant and sent sulfur into the air earlier this month, some residents said Tuesday.

Elizabeth Salgado said at a news conference organized by Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services that her family did not hear a warning or siren when the toxic chemical was released the morning of Aug. 4. They left their home after unsuccessfully trying to reach a company hotline and not knowing what was happening.

"Our house shook and as soon as that happened, my mother went outside to see what happened," said Salgado, 19, whose family has lived across the street from the plant for 17 years. "Our house was completely white. It was like a fog. The plants were covered."

Salgado's family has filed suit against Valero, claiming they suffered eye problems, breathing ailments and skin troubles as a result of the respiratory distress after the blast.

Bill Day, a spokesman for Valero Energy Corp., said residents in the area were alerted to the sulfur release.

"We did have an alert. We did let people know there was a shelter-in-place," Day said. A shelter-in-place order, which tells residents to stay indoors, is issued by local authorities, not Valero, he said.

Day said the plant is equipped with a public address system.

K.B. Forbes, executive director of Consejo de Latinos Unidos, said the consumer advocacy group is investigating environmental pollution in Houston.

"Our main objective is to tell petrochemical companies there is a presence in Houston and we're not going to tolerate callous attitudes, in particular, Valero," said Forbes. "We are not going to tolerate these polluters that take advantage of the poor."

Valero officials, Forbes said, should have done more to assure residents were aware about the situation and offer medial care. Many of residents complained of coughing and red eyes the morning of the incident.

"Valero sent their people to the hospital but they did nothing, not one thing, for the people in the area," he said.

Forbes also suggested that Valero have a bilingual hotline that tells residents about the goings-on at the plant.

Day said company officials are working on providing Spanish information on the hotline.

Salgado said a representative from Valero offered to pay her family twice their home's property value if the family dropped its suit against the company.

Day said buying property around the plant has been an ongoing effort. Valero, he said, hopes to buy enough of the homes around the plant to create a buffer zone.

The refinery, a short distance south of the Houston Ship Channel, has been operational since 1942. Valero bought the plant, which makes gasoline and gas derivatives, in 1977.

ruth.rendon@chron.com

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