Christensen on concert safety task force's findings: 'The statutes referenced within the report simply do not apply to the Astroworld event'

Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen issued a formal response on Wednesday (April 20) to the final report published by Gov. Greg Abbott's Texas Task Force on Concert Safety, according to a press release issued by Christensen's office.

The panel's report outlines strategies and recommendations to protect concertgoers at future events within the Lone Star State.

According to the release, the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office (HCFMO) and other county officials read the report. While expressing appreciation for the work the task force undertook since the ill-fated Astroworld Festival at Houston's NRG Park on Nov. 5, 2021, the HCFMO asserts a pair of statutes mentioned in the report have nothing to do with the concert.

"The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office along with other county officials have reviewed the report from the Texas Task Force on Concert Safety and while we appreciate their work, the statutes referenced within the report simply do not apply to the Astroworld event," Christensen's statement said.

The report came more than five months after a crowd crush killed 10 people and harmed more than 300 at Astroworld, which is the brainchild of Missouri City-born rapper Travis Scott. Abbott formed the task force about a week following the tragedy. 

The HCFMO in the release countered the state's permit requirement statutes: the Mass Gathering Permit, or Chapter 751 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, and the Outdoor Music Festival Permit, or Chapter 2104 of the Texas Occupations Code.

Christensen asserted that the Mass Gathering Permit pertains to events that are held outside of a municipality's city limits while the Music Festival Permit focuses on performances outside a municipality's boundaries, according to the release.

"The fact the Astroworld event occurred within the City of Houston along with the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Harris County and the City of Houston clearly shows Harris County lacked any jurisdiction for permitting the Astroworld event," the release said.

The HCFMO said it'll spend the "next several weeks" continuing to review the report.

According to Houston CBS affiliate KHOU, an interlock agreement between Harris County and the City of Houston prohibits the county from conducting inspections of NRG Park since the responsibility is the city's. 

The agreement has been in effect since 2018 and is renewed annually unless either party elects not to do so, the station reported.