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Last week, Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee issued a press release expressing his support toward the City of Houston’s plans to relocate residents living near a property owned by Union Pacific on the city’s east side. Houston ABC station Channel 13 reported that families in the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods could move into new homes further away from what officials deemed a cancer cluster.
“I fully support the City of Houston’s plan to offer relocation assistance for residents living in the area of the creosote plume in the Fifth Ward and to call on Union Pacific to assist in relocating people directly affected by the contamination from its own treatment site,” Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee said, according to the release issued by the Office of the Harris County Attorney. “These residents have dealt with cancer and health issues for too long, and the stakes are too high to continue to wait to take action.”
Per the release issued on July 20, Menefee said his office has made it a goal to carry out remediation plan that prioritizes the well-being of the residents declaring “it’s time to act.” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner told Channel 13 the area has registered “79 more cases of cancer” than expected. The station reported that Turner announced the launch of a voluntary buyout/buy-in program with a price tag of $30 million for the city.
According to Channel 13, the mayor said while the program may not be enacted for a number of years, it’s the first step to a longstanding problem. Union Pacific has owned the property on which its Houston Wood Preserving Works creosote treatment facility sits for at least 20 years, the station reported. Channel 13 reported that a Union Pacific spokesperson said the company “will pay for what it's responsible for.”
Houston NPR affiliate Houston Public Media (HPM) reported that the Houston Health Department (HHD) last year initially took sample that uncovered the presence of highly toxic cancer-causing chemicals called dioxins.
The health and well-being of the residents in Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens should remain the top priority, and the support from officials and city programs marks a significant step towards resolving this environmental and public health issue.