Houston lawmaker protests construction of low-income housing near heavy contamination
HOUSTON - A Houston state lawmaker is making a very public outcry against a low-income housing project that environmental watchdogs say is being built near multiple contaminated properties.
State Representative Christina Morales says it is not safe to move hundreds of families into housing surrounded by legacy industrial landfills and a former State Superfund site.
Morales is talking about the $100 million Houston Housing Authority development at 800 Middle Street that is still under construction.
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While the Housing Authority claims the area is safe, the Texas Health and Environment Alliance says the complex is surrounded by land contaminated by lead and other cancer-causing toxins.
"The alarms are ringing as far as I'm concerned and we should all be concerned, particularly anyone who would potentially live in these apartments. Why would we put affordable housing, low-income housing right here in this contaminated soil?" said Morales.
The project is also just yards away from the City’s Long abandoned Velasco trash incinerator plant which has never undergone remediation and at least two toxic ash landfills where decades of burned-up garbage was buried.
"When it comes to the health of families, we have to be concerned. We need healthy communities. This is not healthy," said Morales.
Morales is asking the EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to take another hard look before allowing families to move in and potentially risk their health.
FOX 26 has learned that once the initial 400 units are completed, there are plans to build 400 more.