HOUSTON – A documentary highlighting the creosote contamination from a Union Pacific Railroad yard in Houston’s Fifth Ward, suspected of causing the cancer cluster there, premiered Thursday at the Deluxe Theater.
The event aimed to raise awareness about ongoing health risks and encourage residents to participate in free cancer screenings.
Councilmember Dr. Letitia Plummer led the initiative, which included door-to-door outreach to inform the community.
During the outreach, residents were informed about the contamination and invited to the documentary premier.
”We are going to be watching a premiere of the documentary but we’ll also be learning more information about saving lives,” said CeeCee Scott, who works with Plummers office.
At the premiere, attendees learned about the pervasive presence of contaminants in the area’s soil and air, emphasizing the importance of early cancer detection and screenings, which are expected to continue for years.
”Actually looking at the shifting stages of cancer in someone’s body and because we know there’s been exposure here in the 5th ward for such a long period of time, we believe that some of these environmental toxins are actually changing the molecules and what is happening in peoples bodies,” said Adjoa Kyerematen who is the VP of Public Affairs and Communications at the National Minority Quality Forum which is providing the screenings.
At the premiere, members shared personal stories of loss due to cancer, underscoring the screenings’ significance.
We spoke to local resident, 74-year-old Monroe Woods, who recounted the impact of cancer on his family and neighbors, highlighting the ongoing need for health initiatives in the area.
”My mother passed away with that cancer to the brain, leukemia and my wife, the same thing. All of my neighbors, at least 10 of them,” he said.
”A feeling that good things are coming. I think that’s what this community needed,” Plummer said. “We call it a cancer shifting initiative to this community because if we can find cancer early we have a higher chance of curing it or at least increasing the quality of life for that person.”
The event concluded with a sense of hope, as residents expressed optimism about the community’s future. The cancer screening program is set to begin with 200 participants and expand over time, offering compensation to those involved.
You can watch the documentary, Fifth Ward Exposed: Community, Contamination, and Cancer, here.
To sign up for the cancer screenings, click here.
KPRC 2′S COVERAGE OF CANCER CLUSTER IN FIFTH WARD:
