January 2020. A major chemical fire broke out in South-East Houston in March 2019 at the Intercontinental Terminals Company storage facility in La Porte, TX. Local, State and
Federal agencies have responded to this industrial incident; still, the fires raged for more than a week. This event had a major impact on environmental quality in the region and extensive sampling was performed by the authorities and researchers to address community concerns. Texas A&M Superfund Center responded to this event by deploying teams of faculty and trainees from the Community Engagement Core to monitor air, water and soil quality within days of the start of the incident (https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/understanding-the-implications-of-deer-park/).
Texas A&M University Superfund Research Center members who participated represented multiple components – Community Engagement Core, Research Translation Core, Decision Science and Exposure Research Cores, and Project 3. The research team included Garett Sansom, research assistant professor in the Environmental and Occupational Health Department at the Texas A&M School of 
Public Health, Weihsueh Chiu, professor in the Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and trainees from the Center. The Texas A&M University Superfund Research Center collaborated with a local NGO, Galveston Bay Foundation, to obtain water samples in the Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay. Samples were collected at multiple locations and times (from March-August 2019), and analyzed for a range of perfluorinated compounds. Data showed considerable transient elevations in perfluorinated compounds in water. The data were shared with the NGOs, local and state agencies. A series of meetings were held to explain the findings, the implications to human health, and address questions from the community members.
Media links:
https://www.fox26houston.com/video/622163
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/houston-chronicle/20191107/281736976264803
https://apnews.com/b947c86fe1ab4df2a26e455e8dbb83f9
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article237236434.html
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/nov/11/texas-petrochemical-plant-fire-environmental-impac/
https://www.krgv.com/news/texas-petrochemical-plant-fire-environmental-impact-unclear/