Jackson Lee—“Given what has transpired, there is no doubt that a federal investigation needs to proceed. Representatives of the facility’s parent company need to be in Houston, on the ground, on-site. All means must be utilized to protect surrounding communities who are continuously being impacted. I will join the congressional representative of the area and other colleagues to work as a congressional delegation to ensure a full federal review and a full federal investigation of this matter.”

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior Member of Congress and of the Budget Committee, released this statement on the ongoing ITC Fires:

“Earlier today, the Deer Park Fire, which raged for the first half of this week, restarted, two days after it was first extinguished. Within minutes of the fire restarting, first responders have been on site, as are members of HazMat teams. Representatives of Harris County are monitoring the situation to determine what will occur next. Because of the impact in my congressional district, I was at the Harris County Emergency Management Center, also monitoring the situation. It appears as if the fire is now possibly getting under control; it is not known at this time when it will be completely over. However, given what has transpired, there is no doubt that a federal investigation needs to proceed. Representatives of the facility’s parent company need to be in Houston, on the ground, on-site. All means must be utilized to protect surrounding communities who are continuously being impacted. I will join the congressional representative of the area and other colleagues to work as a congressional delegation to ensure a full federal review and a full federal investigation of this matter.”