Dear Friends,
Every community deserves clean air to breathe, safe water to drink and a healthy environment where families can thrive. However, many Harris County families are now suffering the worst effects of environmental injustices after years of going without basic protections. We are working to change this at Precinct One and throughout Harris County.
This past week, Harris County Commissioners Court approved increased monitoring and inspections of concrete batch plants as part of our broader effort to increase environmental protections and build on last year’s work to analyze and correct gaps in pollution control following the ITC fire.
We are committed to strengthening local environmental protections, and we know that when concrete batch plants are out of compliance–people suffer. Our constituents’ health takes priority over companies’ profits.
Lax state regulations are failing people. Harris County refuses to ignore these critical environmental issues affecting our communities, specifically vulnerable ones. Monitoring and inspections at concrete batch plants are key steps we can take to bring environmental justice to all people.
Please know we are also committed to finding answers about the cancer cluster in Kashmere Gardens and Fifth Ward and ensuring the proper cleanup of the creosote contamination located in the community. We also know that this is not unique to Kashmere Gardens and Fifth Ward. There are other sites that need to be cleaned up in Harris County and there are other families struggling with cancer and poor health caused by pollution, neglect and environmental racism.
You have Precinct One’s commitment that we will work with community members, elected leaders, and advocates to protect families from environmental harm. We are dedicated to protecting people’s right to live and work in communities with clean air and water. Our neighborhoods should be places where people feel safe and can live and thrive. We will not stop until this is everyone’s reality.
Let’s continue to work together to protect our families, neighborhoods and the environment as we demand environmental justice for all people.
Sincerely,
Rodney Ellis
