Sinkhole grows as officials search for answers
From the northeast corner of the original Daisetta sinkhole, a warehouse can be seen collapsing into the new formation in the background.
Cracking around the edge of the new sinkhole continues to grow as structures collapse into the formation.
Crews work to haul heavy equipment off the property before it is lost forever.
A tank being referred to as “Rusty” is shown leaning into the Daisetta sinkhole.
A significant crack in the ground at the old DeLoach Oil and Gas Waste Well facility.
DAISETTA – Just days after the Diasetta sinkhole began to act up for the first time in 15 years, officials are looking for answers as to what triggered the most recent collapse this past Sunday afternoon.
Reports began to circulate on Sunday that the ground directly to the south of the formation, located to the west of FM 770, had started cracking and sinking yet again. Later that evening, it appeared that an area the size of several acres had given way.
"It's growing. It's taking out several more acres," Liberty County Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Hergemueller said Sunday night.
The property belongs to the old DeLoach Oil and Gas Waste Well. The company is no longer active, but storage of certain products remains on the property, which has seen a warehouse and several tanks give way to the path of the sinkhole.
The owner, who inherited the property, is working with officials, including TCEQ, the Texas Department of Emergency Management, and Liberty County Office of Emergency Management, to clean up any material they can before the hole swallows more structures on the site.
"TCEQ is going to send some paperwork over to the property owners to get the materials off the site before it becomes a catastrophic event," said Hergemueller on Tuesday.
Crews have already removed heavy equipment as cracks in the ground grow around the property. Officials placed markers showing where cracking had occurred as a plan was put together to empty several tanks on site.
"As far as getting the right folks out here and getting things done, we're making that happen," said Hergemueller.
According to Hergemueller, the hole had expanded significantly on Tuesday, prompting him to relocate the staging area on the site to a further distance from the formation.
"The geologists are here looking around and seeing what they can figure out, but we still won't get the report back on that for a while," he said.
According to Hergemueller, officials are trying to figure out the direction the hole is moving, pointing out there are questions as to whether it is a continuation of the original sinkhole or a new hole altogether.
"There is a lot of speculation, and we do have the regulatory people here that are going to help with getting the material out of here, so we don't have to worry about contamination," he said.
Some questions have been raised about the impact on FM 770, which runs parallel less than 100 feet with the sinkhole. Officials say the hole remains the same distance from the roadway, and there are no indicators that it has moved any closer at this time.
The original hole, which made national news after suddenly collapsing on May 8, 2008, has been investigated by several agencies as they have looked for answers. It was thought that future damage would happen to the south end of the sinkhole, which is the site of the current collapse.
It is also worth noting that the city of Daisetta sits directly over a salt dome.
The public is urged to remain away from the sinkhole, as the property is not safe at this time as the hole continues to grow in the area.
This is a developing story and more details will follow as they are made available.
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