Sweeny residents' lawsuit blames Phillips 66 for Harvey flooding
http://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Sweeny-residents-lawsuit-blames-Phillips-66-for-12240699.php September 29, 2017
...The plaintiffs from the small city southwest of Houston claim Phillips 66 employees erected temporary dams at the Linnville and Little Linnville bayous to prevent petroleum and chemical leaks at its Sweeny refining and petrochemical complex. The lawsuit alleges the Houston-based energy giant knew the efforts would cause nearby homes to flood, but that they did so anyway without notifying local communities....
...Phillips 66, however, argues that its actions were completely unrelated to the flooding that occurred.
"While we still experienced significant flooding in the refinery, our actions prevented the release of feedstocks and products into the community and environment," the company said in a prepared statement. "We do not believe that these actions on one side of our property impacted the ongoing flooding event adjacent to the refinery or in the community.
"The area was already flooded prior to our actions and the rivers and bayous continued to rise in the days following. ...
