Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan continues his fight to save the environment as County Commissioners approve his efforts to protect local residents.
“Whenever the environment is damaged, it affects many people and communities,” said County Attorney Ryan. “These actions approved by the Commissioners this week will safeguard our County.”
Ryan has received approval to hire an environmental expert and to sue, if necessary, Beazer East, Inc. Beazer is remediating the South Cavalcade Superfund Site between Cavalcade and Collingsworth Streets, a former creosote and wood treating facility that is located within the expanded cancer cluster identified by the State of Texas. While constructing the Collingsworth grade separation, the Harris County Toll Road Authority noticed what turned out to be the chemical naphthalene in storm sewers that ultimately discharge into Little White Oak Bayou. The Toll Road Authority incurred increased construction costs as a result of the pollution.
Naphthalene can cause serious health problems in humans. To date, the pollution remains unabated and there is no known proposed plan to cease the discharge. The County Attorney’s Office notes this is particularly concerning given the unabated pollution is occurring in a cancer cluster. If the pollution is not stopped, the County Attorney could sue for injunctive relief, civil penalties and cost recovery.
County Attorney Ryan has filed litigation against Pullman-Sage Processing for discharging sugar residue (an industrial waste) from its sugar blending and refining facility at 101 E. Barbours Cut Boulevard. Harris County Pollution Control Services determined that the sugar waste was mixing with rainwater and draining into a county flood control ditch, where it creates an odor.
Harris County Pollution Control Services issued six violation notices to Pullman-Sage Processing for the illegal discharge. Since the runoff of waste into a public waterway continued, the County Attorney’s Office filed suit against Pullman to obtain injunctive relief to stop the continued discharge. To view petition, click here.
County Attorney Ryan’s Office has won Commissioners approval for a settlement in the County’s challenge of the Greenhouse Road Landfill’s request to expand its landfill at 3510 Greenhouse Road. Greenhouse Road Landfill LP has won initial approval from the state to amend its permit to increase its facility, which accepts only brush and construction/demolition debris. Harris County, seven local residents, a one business protested the amendment because of concerns over odors, drainage, waste management and operating procedures.
The settlement will address an established timeline for construction of southern and eastern drainage system, installation of additional drainage infrastructure, an annual survey to ensure drainage channels maintain proper flowline grades, increased odor control measures and daily odor inspections within the neighborhoods, increased landfill gas monitoring, increased daily windblown waste patrol in the residential neighborhoods, dust control measures including speed limits and a watering schedule, increased random checks of in-coming waste loads to verify the absence of prohibited waste and donations to area schools.
“We will continue to hold corporations accountable for what they put into our water, soil and air,” said County Attorney Ryan. “There is nothing more precious than our people and our environment.”