Celebrating 2023’s Environmental Wins
A Message From Jackie Medcalf, THEA Founder and CEO
As we close out a busy year for THEA, I wanted to share some high points of 2023.
Dump Trucks carrying off contaminated material from the Southern Enclosure of the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site. Over the last year, remediation crews have removed 112,000 cubic yards of material from the site for disposal. That amount would fill almost half the Astrodome, give or take. It means that part of the cleanup is on track to be completed this summer. We still have a lot of work to make sure the Northern Pit is cleaned up, but the EPA says it is still committed to removing all of the contaminated material from that impoundment as well.
THEA was on the ground in the Jones Road Neighborhood. The cleanup of the Jones Road Ground Water Superfund Site is complex, requiring different solutions for residences and businesses. It has left residents confused and angry. In 2023, THEA tested residential water sources, both independently and in cooperation with the University of Texas Medical Branch. We also spent many days walking the neighborhood and talking one-on-one with residents about their concerns.
Greater Fifth Ward/Kashmere Gardens residents were finally heard. For many years, residents have said no one was listening to their concerns over high rates of cancer and other illnesses. After city and county threatened Union Pacific Railroad with lawsuits, the EPA moved in to oversee environmental sampling by the company. Then outgoing Mayor Turner committed the city to buying out residents who may be exposed to dioxin and other chemicals from the rail yard.
The politicians got it! We don’t get to say that very often, so we need to point it out.
At Jones Road, Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey joined the community to take a strong stand calling on the EPA to clean up the Superfund Site.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee was an active advocate for the environment locally and nationally (and was awarded THEA’s first annual “Crawdaddy of the year” at our Clean Mud For Bugs Event).
In April, Houston’s elected officials were front-and-center at EPA meetings on the need to remove toxic waste from the Greater Fifth Ward neighborhoods.
Not every elected official gets it, but when both parties agree to a cleaner argument, that’s progress!
It’s been a big year. 2024 promises to be even bigger.
Thank you for making your voices heard and for supporting THEA’s efforts to protect the health of communities in the Houston/Galveston area!
Happy holidays,
Jackie