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Houston Mayor urged to address environmental concerns
Exclusive on Fox: A state lawmaker, concerned about environmental contamination, pushes Houston's new mayor to swiftly convert a campaign pledge into executive action, focusing on the immediate issue of low-income housing near heavily polluted land.
HOUSTON - In Houston's second ward, a nine-figure affordable housing complex being constructed with tax dollars on land nearly surrounded by the deeply contaminated property has triggered both concern and controversy.
The prospect of placing low-income families next door to toxic ground drew both the scrutiny of FOX 26 and the repeated criticism of candidate John Whitmire.
"We ought to have that investigated. It ought to be stopped. We have got to have affordable housing. We can not afford to waste one dollar on projects that aren't justified," said Whitmire at a Nov. 27 runoff debate.
SUGGESTED: State orders new environmental study of Houston low-income housing project
Since candidate Whitmire has become Mayor Whitmire, State Representative Christina Morales is urging the City's new chief executive to turn his concerns into action.
"I would love to see a halt to that project," said Morales.
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It is a project with lead contamination from a former state Superfund site just across one fenceline and untold tons of toxic incinerator ash, both exposed and buried, just beyond two other boundaries.
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Back in October, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs ordered the Houston Housing Authority to conduct a new round of environmental assessments with experts independent from the developer.
Morales believes any further construction should be placed on complete pause until those results are complete.
"It just makes common sense. Why would you continue building a structure when you don't know if it's safe for anybody to live in it? So, let's make sure that it's safe for low-income families who have no other choice but to live there. Let's make sure that they live in a safe and healthy environment. What I saw with my own eyes didn't look healthy to me," said Morales.