HOUSTON – A search warrant reveals Houston Police Department’s environmental unit is investigating Houston business DeWalch Technologies for hazardous wastes “being discharged into the environment, the City of Houston Sanitary Sewer system, and into or adjacent to a stormwater drainage system.”
DeWalch Technologies was founded in 1982 and focuses on “specialty meter locking hardware.”
HPD’s environmental unit started its investigation after receiving a tip from a former employee.
The person alleged the company was “dumping their cutting oil out the bay door or in the back over the drain.” When the former employee brought their concerns to the attention of human resources, the representative said, “she knew,” the owner might be illegally dumping chemicals.
The person shared pictures with authorities of barrels of unknown brown liquids “being discharged via a hose into drains and sinks inside the business.”
In August, according to the documents KPRC 2 obtained, an HPD investigator visited the site and noticed stains on the back bay doors consistent with what the former employee told them.
“The stain path is consistent with that of a pollutant that of a potential corrosive as the concrete appears to be etched and strained white,” the document said.
“It’s gross. It’s not just gross, it’s scary,” said Becky Smith, Texas Director for Clean Water Action. “Although these are allegations of pollution. The fact that the city of Houston and possibly the state of Texas have investigators who are looking to identify environmental crimes have gotten this far and are asking for the right to go in and inspect the facility tells me this is at a very serious level.”
Smith said the concern is the chemical is making its way to the city’s drainage system and not being properly treated.
“This always ends up in water,” Smith said. “When it flows downstream no matter what kind of treatment it does or does not get. So, if it goes to our sewer, it gets treated like wastewater. There are processes for that, but this is not what, the systems are not created to treat these chemicals.”
The search warrant adds on a separate day, HPD was able to get surveillance video from around the area and noticed an employee was at the bay door appearing to use a hose to drain out unknown material. “As he was moving the hose it struck up against the wall and left a dark stain on the wall consistent with a petroleum-based liquid,” the document reads.
The following day the official read labels on a number of barrels, while in the parking lot, for different types of synthetic cutting oil such as Matrixsol 30 and Xtreme Cut 232.
The investigator said DeWalch did not have any City of Houston permits to discharge into the storm or sanitary drains.
KPRC 2′s Rilwan Balogun went to the company asking about the allegations.
“Frankly, I’m curious about the neighborhood. Where the nearest residents and schools to this facility because these chemicals can really pose a danger,” Smith said.
A representative, who didn’t identify themselves, asked KPRC 2′s team to leave.
“We don’t have anything to say,” the employee said.
“No comment whatsoever,” Balogun asked.
“No, sir,” the employee said.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said it does not “confirm or deny any criminal investigations.”
Houston police wouldn’t comment either but instead referred to the search warrant.