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Residents concerned of pollutants from Ship Channel
Some residents in east Houston rallied together to speak about possible pollutants in their neighborhood due to an expansion project at the Port of Houston. FOX 26's Damali Keith explains their concerns.
HOUSTON - Some residents in East Houston are rallying together, speaking out about possible pollutants in their neighborhood due to an expansion project at the Port of Houston.
The residents coming together in Galena Park say they are alarmed.
Although Port Houston says there's no evidence of it, the residents say potential cancer-causing chemicals have been found in sediment and dirt dredged from the Houston Ship Channel, and it's being disposed of near them.
The latest dredging is from Project 11, the widening and deepening of the channel from the Turning Basin to Galveston Bay.
"Of the sites tested for regular maintenance dredging, all had Arsenic present at levels exceeding EPA's limit of what is considered safe for soil. One sample was even 45 times higher than what is considered safe…Other pollutants found to be in excess of EPA safe levels were Cadmium, Benzopyrene or PAH and Dioxins and Furans," explains Naomi Yoder with TSU’s Bullard Center For Environmental and Climate Justice.
"Vulnerable communities deserve to be protected. Vulnerable communities do not deserve to be dumped on, time and time again," adds Erandi Trevino with Healthy Port Communities Coalition.
"We are standing right next to them now. You can see the berms," Yoder points out.
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"Back in the 80's I used to go play up there, play in these dredge sites when I was a kid and I am living proof of what these chemicals can do to you, my health is suffering because of the chemicals in the area," says resident Juan Flores.
"Directly next to residences, schools, ball fields. That is, they are next to places where people live, work and play. Furthermore, the communities near the Houston Ship Channel are predominantly composed of people of color and people of lower incomes," Yoder adds.
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The Port of Houston released the following statement,
"Port Houston cares deeply about the health and safety of our neighboring communities and we hear their concerns. Sediment testing is conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) prior to material being placed in the sediment placement sites and we have seen no evidence of contamination or discharges at any of the dredged material placement areas that would pose a hazard to human health. The Houston Ship Channel supports 1.54 million jobs in Texas and $906 billion in national economic value and maintaining and improving the Channel is necessary for the continued economic prosperity of our region and the safety and efficiency of the nation's busiest waterway"