State orders new environmental study of Houston low-income housing project
HOUSTON - Just six days after FOX 26 revealed shocking images of contaminated incinerator ash running thirty feet deep adjacent to the Houston Housing Authority's controversial 800 Middle Street project, the State of Texas felt compelled to step in.
In a demand letter obtained by FOX 26, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs has ordered a new Environmental Site Assessment of the low-income project to be conducted by independent third-party experts.
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At Houston City Hall, Council member Tiffany Thomas, chair of the Housing Committee, actually welcomed the intervention.
"I think it's the right thing to do. My belief is the truth minds no inquiry, so if the project is with integrity and the project is clean, then a third party would validate it. If the project is not clean then that gives us more information to pause the development and do what we need to do to cure the site," said Thomas.
E-mails obtained through open records requests indicate the controversial project on property adjacent to contaminated ash landfills and a former toxic lead state superfund site was set in motion by the City's Chief Development Officer Andy Icken.
FOX 26 asked Icken if he was concerned about the viability of the project.
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"Let me read the letter and understand the facts then I will be able to give you a comment on it," said Icken.
Well-known businessman, columnist, and FOX 26 contributor Bill King says the entire $100 million dollar project is now at serious risk because the tax-exempt status of the development hinged on a clean bill of environmental health.
"Of all the beautiful places to build something in Houston, why would you build it around all of these environmental risks? I don't get it. If the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs pulls the tax credits because they determined they were misled, this whole thing is going to blow up and be in bankruptcy," said King.
The State gave the Houston Housing Authority 120 days to complete the new environmental assessment.
HHA offered a written statement in response to FOX 26's request for comment.
"Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our community, and we are committed to ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to address these concerns. As part of our response to the allegations, we have been working closely with our environmental consultant, InControl Technologies, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to ensure we are following all environmental regulations and to ensure our environmental assessments remain complete and accurate in all material respects.