Cleanup underway after tree fell on oil pipeline valve, causing 150-gallon oil spill in Crosby: Officials

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Cleanup is underway after a storm-toppled tree caused an oil spill in Crosby on Saturday night, officials said.

According to authorities, the leak occurred near the 16700 block of Golf Club Drive after a tree fell during severe storms and struck a pipeline valve, causing it to malfunction.

“You’d think a tree branch, or like, any tree wouldn’t crush a pipeline. Pipelines are typically made out of steel, so it’s kind of crazy to hear that,” said Cannon Stringer, who lives in the area.

At about 9:15 p.m., the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to reports of a possible gas leak, and residents in the immediate vicinity were told to shelter in place.

“We definitely closed our windows, and we didn’t drink out of the tap or anything like that,” Stringer said.

At around 10:30 p.m., the Fire Marshal’s Office said its hazmat team had made entry and isolated the leak.

Officials confirmed the substance was crude oil, not gas, and lifted the shelter-in-place order. Air monitoring continued as crews worked to secure the area.

In a statement, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said a tree branch fell on an Energy Transfer pipeline valve during the evening’s storms, causing approximately 150 gallons of crude oil to spill before the valve was shut off.

County officials said the oil did not reach nearby homes or bodies of water and only extended about 10 feet from the plant’s fence line. First responders placed containment booms around the site to prevent further spread.

SkyEye flew over the area on Sunday morning, capturing video of the cleanup effort as crews placed materials on the ground, all welcome news for Stringer.

“Hopefully they did the right thing and take that soil up and clean it up and make sure the area is safe going forward too, because the next rain event you don’t want any of that washing away into that lake, so that’s good to know that they took control of that,” Stringer said.

The Fire Marshal’s Office confirmed the leak did not occur at a water treatment plant and had no impact on plant operations or systems, and said no injuries were reported.

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