Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ This is where Skull Creek empties into the Colorado River. The water is black.

Texas is suing the alleged polluter. But local officials say they have been left in the dark about what’s going on. #txlege

bit.ly/2VRQIHZ

2/ Pick up a rock along Skull Creek. It's covered in black residue.

Yellowed fish skeletons line the pebbled banks of the Colorado River tributary.

bit.ly/2VRQIHZ

3/ The water surface is covered in an iridescent sheen. bit.ly/2VRQIHZ

4/ A dizzying, chemical odor hangs in the air.

The odor is so strong that Julie Schmidt says she can smell it inside her house.

She isn't sure if her children should play outside. bit.ly/2VRQIHZ

5/ The state has sued the alleged polluter. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages of up to $1 million. bit.ly/2VRQIHZ

6/ The state sued the company on Friday — 10 weeks after citizens first began complaining — alleging an oil and gas waste recycling facility was illegally discharged industrial waste into the creek and stored that waste without a permit. bit.ly/2VRQIHZ

7/ The company has claimed that its own water sampling showed the black substance in the creek was a product of “natural sources” such as algae or decomposing animal waste. bit.ly/2VRQIHZ

8/ Here's what a TCEQ toxicology report released last Wednesday found in water samples: elevated levels of hazardous chemicals associated with oil and gas waste, including xylene, toluene and ethylbenzene. bit.ly/2VRQIHZ

9/ Toluene is a solvent present in paint thinners, glues and nail polish remover.

It is dangerous to inhale. bit.ly/2VRQIHZ

10/ The company's website describes its plant as "not a disposal facility" but "a true recycling facility."

The website says it’s "creating a cleaner environment." bit.ly/2VRQIHZ

11/11 Read the full story here: bit.ly/2VRQIHZ