HOUSTON – Several city, county, state, health and federal leaders are pushing back against a concrete crushing company that is trying to build a facility across the street from Lyndon B Johnson hospital. The proposed facility is located on Kelley Street near Homestead in Northeast Houston.
Officials say the pollution can lead to health problems, worsening existing conditions.
“It should be obvious to all that it is not good for society to put a polluting facility like a concrete crushing plant just across the street from a hospital that treats some of the most vulnerable folks in our community, “Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee is referring to an area on Kelley Street near Homestead Road. The site is where Texas Coast Materials, a rock and concrete crushing company is seeking a permit from the TCEQ to build a facility.
“This is definitely becoming a civil rights issue. TCEQ and its leadership has to stop rubber stamping these facilities in minority communities,” Senator Borris Miles said.
The proposed site is less than 500 yards from Lyndon B Johnson Hospital and a few feet away from the Bayou walking trials. It’s less than two miles from Kashmere Gardens Elementary School and residential communities.
Effron Williams is against the proposal.
“Well, we have enough problems already with the train tack pollution. We don’t need anything here that’s going to toxic our community, senior citizens, or us from that matter,” he said.
Health officials say the facility crushes concrete into gravel, creating pollution like particulate matter, crystalline silica, and nitrogen oxide.
“Which are some of the byproducts of a plant like this that have been proven to be the cause of heart disease, asthma, emphysema, lung cancer and stoke,” Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, President and CEO of Harris Health System said.
Kathy Blueford Daniel’s is an advocate who lives in the Fifth Ward. She’s been fighting against batch plants and knows the negative impact it can have on people’s health.
“They can come in and build anything that they want too without any care or impact to the community but more importantly they don’t live here,” she said.
Officials say they will continue to fight back against the proposal.
“We are asking for three very simple things. First, we are calling on Texas Coastal Material to withdraw its permit application. Second, we are calling on the TCEQ to fix its broken permitting process. Third, we are asking that that great people in Harris County who believe that putting a concrete plant across the street from the hospital is wrong is to go to tceq.texas.gov before December 7th and let their opinion be heard,” Attorney Menefee said.
Senator Borris Miles and representatives Harold Dutton have been working on legislation to change the jurisdiction when it comes to batch and concrete plants trying to build faculties near communities, schools, and hospitals.
KPRC2 reached out to Texas Coastal Materials who had no comment. We are waiting for a response from the TCEQ.
The TCEQ plans to hold an informational meeting that will take place on December 7th. The location and time have not been announced.