Ector County Judge Dustin Fawcett is holding a news conference this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at the Ector County Courthouse to discuss a declaration of disaster for Ector County due to a commercial fire located in Northwest Odessa at 8100 N. County Road West, a site with significant oilfield-related chemicals.
The fire and recent flooding in Ector County has significantly affected the residents’ air and water quality in the surrounding areas.
In a news release, Fawcett said “After discussion with our state partners including State Rep. Brooks Landgraf, Texas Department of Emergency Management, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, as well as with constituents who live in the area most affected by the recent fire and floods, we are all in agreement that state assistance is needed to ensure Ector County residents’ property and health are both protected moving forward.”
Fawcett, Ector County Emergency Management Director Wes Carta, City of Odessa City Manager John Beckmeyer, Odessa Fire Chief Jason Cotton, Ector County Commissioner Pct. I Mike Gardner, and the Permian Basin Chapter of the American Red Cross’s Executive Director Tracy Austin will attend.
