Media Spotlight on Fifth Ward Cancer Clusters

December 13, 2022 - The Union Pacific Railroad has been meeting with the City of Houston, Harris County, Bayou City Initiative, a nonprofit which focuses on local flooding impacts, and the state to craft a cleanup plan for the creosote contamination located within the railyard. That was prompted by the city, county, and Bayou City Initiative’s threats to sue the railroad if it didn’t produce an effective cleanup plan. Under the agreement, Union Pacific will release its plan in January and says its consultants have already been in the field taking measurements to prepare a sampling plan. 

In the meantime, two news reports came out that shine a light on the human cost of the ongoing contamination. Both reports feature Sandra Edwards, an advisor to THEA’s Northeast Houston Coalition and a key organizer in her community. 

The local Houston Public Media report quotes THEA Founder Jackie Medcalf and helps explain how the creosote from the railyard may have released dioxin into the neighborhood.  

A report by NBC News’ investigative team looks at environmental racism concerns in the Greater Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens.