HOUSTON – Therm-All Insulation says it is committed to environmental responsibility and is reviewing allegations after the company and one of its Houston managers were charged in connection with illegal dumping in north Houston.
In a statement to KPRC 2 News following the charges, the company said it has “been at the forefront of innovative insulation solutions since 1981” and operates 13 locations nationwide.
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“Therm-All is aware of the allegations recently brought by the State of Texas concerning the alleged illegal dumping of commercial waste,” the statement reads. “At this time, we are still in the process of gathering all relevant facts and circumstances that form the basis of these allegations.”
The statement comes after Harris County District Attorney’s Office charged Therm-All Insulation LLC and Houston branch manager Cierra Cano with felony violations of Texas environmental laws related to the alleged disposal of commercial waste at an unauthorized site.
According to charging documents, investigators with Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office Environmental Crimes Unit began investigating activity at a known illegal dumping location in north Houston.
Authorities allege surveillance footage showed several people unloading insulation material, pallets, packaging debris and other commercial waste from a truck onto the side of the roadway. Investigators said one person used a forklift to remove debris while another allegedly acted as a lookout using an electric scooter.
Days later, investigators documented the debris pile and estimated its volume at approximately 1,512 cubic feet. Under Texas law, that amount exceeds the threshold for a state jail felony illegal dumping charge.
According to court records, investigators later connected the truck and forklift seen in the footage to Therm-All after observing the same equipment at the company’s property.
Charging documents state that Cano told investigators the company had been dealing with excessive waste accumulation, limited dumpster capacity and complaints from property management regarding trash buildup.
Investigators allege Cano admitted instructing employees to remove the waste because the company lacked sufficient disposal capacity at the time.
Therm-All statement:
“Therm-all has been at the forefront of innovative insulation solutions since 1981. We have 13 locations nationwide. For over 45 years, Therm-All has been committed to environmental responsibility, workplace safety, and compliance with all application laws and regulations including illegal dumping of waste. We have never previously been accused of an environmental crime. We remain dedicated to these principles are well as maintaining the trust of our customers, partners, employees, and the communities we serve.
Therm-all is aware of the allegations recently brought by the State of Texas concerning the alleged illegal dumping of commercial waste. At this time, we are still in the process of gathering all relevant facts and circumstances that form the basis of these allegations.
While the allegations involve activities reportedly connected to a local operations manager, the company’s executive leadership had no prior knowledge of any unlawful dumping activity. Nevertheless, we take these matters extremely seriously.
Therm-All is committed to conducting a thorough review and will cooperate with law enforcement and regulatory authorities as their investigation proceeds. We are also evaluating our operational procedures and oversight practices to ensure that any conduct inconsistent with our company policies and values does not occur in the future.
Because this is an ongoing legal matter, Therm-all will not comment further at this time.”