Texans dwelling in a 250-square-mile space of Harris County that features a hazardous Superfund web site had abnormally excessive charges of sure sorts of most cancers, based on a brand new evaluation from the state’s well being division.
The examine, which was revealed earlier this month, analyzed most cancers charges throughout 65 census tracts surrounding the San Jacinto River each upstream and downstream of the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Website, which is contaminated with carcinogenic waste. Between 2013 and 2021, the examine discovered, individuals within the space had most cancers charges above the anticipated vary for cervix uteri most cancers, leukemia, lung and bronchus most cancers and lymphoma.
The Superfund web site close to Houston is contaminated with dioxins, which the Environmental Safety Company says are extremely poisonous and might trigger most cancers, reproductive and developmental issues, harm to the immune system, and might intervene with hormones.
The Texas Division of State Well being Providers stated the most cancers evaluation was not meant to find out the reason for the cancers or determine attainable associations with any danger elements. However environmental advocates stated the evaluation’s findings renewed requires the cleanup of the Superfund web site, an effort which has confronted a number of delays as a consequence of disputes over who’s accountable.
Jackie Medcalf, founder and CEO of the environmental nonprofit Texas Well being and Atmosphere Alliance, known as the state’s new examine a wake-up name for state and federal officers.
“Our our bodies are poisonous soup and we can not ignore that any longer,” Medcalf stated Monday at a press convention on the San Jacinto Group Heart.
The examine additionally reviewed seven sorts of childhood most cancers. Outcomes confirmed most cancers circumstances had been throughout the vary of what’s anticipated primarily based on most cancers charges in Texas.
The positioning’s pits had been initially constructed within the Sixties to eliminate strong and liquid pulp and paper mill waste from the Worldwide Paper Co. and McGinnes Industrial Upkeep Corp. Throughout this time the EPA didn’t know the chance of such contamination.
As a lot as 200,000 cubic yards of extremely poisonous waste was dumped into the pits and later eroded permitting for contaminants to leak into the San Jacinto River. In 2008, the location was added to the EPA’s Nationwide Priorities Checklist for cleanup below the Superfund program, which ranks “the nation’s most critical uncontrolled or deserted hazardous waste websites.”
For many years residents within the space say they unknowingly lived, swam, boated and fished close to and on prime of a hazardous waste web site.
Gene Hennigan is a long-time resident of Lynchburg, an unincorporated neighborhood situated in east Harris County and close to the waste web site. On the press convention Hennigan stated he is aware of many individuals in the neighborhood who’ve suffered from most cancers, together with his spouse and son who died of most cancers.
“The record goes on,” he stated. “We all know the realm is a most cancers cluster by expertise not by a examine.”
THEA and native residents requested the state to check the realm’s most cancers charges.
In 2011 momentary armored caps had been put in to include poisonous sludge on the web site. Nevertheless, six years later Hurricane Harvey broken the caps, exposing the waste. Environmentalists and legal professionals have argued the momentary cap is an inadequate repair and proceed to push for expedited removing of the waste to forestall additional human and environmental hurt. Full remediation of the location has a price ticket of $115 million.
Medcalf with THEA stated she is pissed off that the EPA hasn’t taken stronger motion to wash up the location. The company might take over the clear up. Nevertheless, she’s hoping the Trump administration will prioritize the cleanup of hazardous waste websites, as she stated he did through the prior administration by making a Superfund Process Drive.
THEA shall be assembly with the state well being division Tuesday and with the EPA later this week to debate the most cancers evaluation’s findings.
This text initially appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/24/texas-harris-county-cancer-risk-epa-superfund-site-san-jacinto/.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and interesting Texans on state politics and coverage. Study extra at texastribune.org.
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