After challenging Valero Refining-Texas, L.P.’s (Valero) air quality permit for a petroleum refinery in east Harris County, the Harris County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) and Harris County Pollution Control Services Department (HPCS) secured an agreement from Valero to: · decrease the refinery’s annual emissions of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) by 80%; · increase the number of the refinery’s emission tests per year; · provide $100,000 to community projects in the area surrounding the refinery; and · improve recordkeeping and accessibility of the […]
Harris County Attorney’s Office
Human Trafficking Victims and Alleged Sex Workers Dismissed from Anti-prostitution Lawsuit in Houston
Today, the Harris County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) dismissed 36 alleged sex workers from the County’s “Bissonnet Track” anti-prostitution lawsuit. Some of these alleged sex workers have also been confirmed to be human trafficking victims. County Attorney Christian D. Menefee expressed that a civil lawsuit against sex workers is not the answer to decreasing illegal activities in the Southwest Houston area, and only further harms vulnerable people. In August 2018, the Harris County Attorney’s Office—under the […]