Austin, TX – A bill authored by State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) to protect Texas families from the dangers posed by fly-by-night chemical container storage operations has passed the Texas House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. The measure now heads to the Texas Senate for consideration.

House Bill 3866 was filed in response to the July 2024 Permian Basin Container (PBC) fire in northern Ector County, where a chemical container storage facility that set up operations in an existing residential neighborhood caught fire and released hazardous smoke into the surrounding area. The incident led to groundwater contamination and required a broad emergency response from local and state officials.

“I’m proud to report that HB 3866 has passed the House with strong bipartisan backing,” Landgraf said. “This is a community-driven effort to ensure that what happened during the PBC fire doesn’t happen again—anywhere in Texas.”

House Bill 3866 sets new safety standards on large-scale facilities that collect and recondition chemical containers. The bill prohibits these facilities from operating within 2,000 feet of existing private homes. It also establishes a registration system through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and routine periodic inspections.