Community knowledge is essential to building healthier, safer, and more resilient futures.
We help communities access clear, understandable information about environmental conditions that may impact their health. Through environmental health literacy and public engagement, residents can better understand local risks, navigate complex information, and make informed decisions for their families and neighborhoods.
THEA’s expertise on the complex Superfund and regulatory processes, environmental health communication, and attention to technical details empowers residents to participate effectively in the decision-making that is meant to protect their health and environment.
Our Coalitions Are The Key
THEA builds coalitions of people who are most impacted by toxic waste near their homes. We build trust with communities, translate complex scientific and regulatory information into accessible formats, and support community-led efforts to secure the clean-up of contaminated sites.
Stronger Together Through Coalition Building
THEA brings together residents, local businesses, bipartisan elected officials, researchers, agencies, and other stakeholders because we believe communities are best served when diverse perspectives and lived experiences are part of the conversation. By building trusted coalitions, translating complex scientific and regulatory information into accessible formats, and supporting community-driven engagement, we help communities participate meaningfully in decisions about environmental health and contaminated site cleanups.
Learn more about our San Jacinto, Cypress Community and Northeast Houston Coalitions.
CHEJ is Now a Project of the Texas Health and Environment Alliance
For more than 45 years, the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) has supported grassroots communities fighting environmental health threats and toxic pollution. Now, that mission continues through the Texas Health and Environment Alliance (THEA).
Learn how THEA is carrying forward CHEJ’s legacy of environmental stewardship, community support, and grassroots leadership while expanding its national reach.
A Tale Of Two Superfund Sites
THEA brings community concerns to decision makers to keep Superfund Site cleanups on track and here’s how we know our approach works.
The Superfund Site at Deer Park’s Patrick Bayou was placed on the EPA’s National Priority List in 2002. The cleanup is stuck in limbo. There isn’t even a remediation plan yet.
Less than 10 miles away, the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site in Houston was added to the EPA’s priority list in 2008. Cleanup started in 2022.
The difference? THEA and the San Jacinto communities have continued to engage the EPA and the companies responsible to clean up the contamination at the San Jacinto River Site.
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