TxDOT agreed to let them set up independent air monitors to see what’s in the air.
HOUSTON — Parents in west Houston are demanding the closure of a concrete batch plant next to their kids’ schools. They fear dust from the site is making their kids sick.
The plant sits right off the West Loop near I-10, and parents have been protesting for weeks, and now they are taking steps to monitor the air themselves.
The concerned parents say they are not going to be backing down and are fighting for more action to be taken.
They staged a protest of the plant on Friday morning.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued a temporary permit for the plant last year to support the Texas Department of Transportation’s I-10 elevation. Under state law, temporary plants can operate within 100 feet of a school, and in this case, there are two schools next door.
This week, parents say they were able to speak to TxDOT officials who agreed to let them install independent air monitors on the property. It’s a small win for these folks, but they still have a lot to worry about.
“What we’re fighting is where they decided to place this temporary portable batch plant that emits different things like crystalline silica, which is a particulate that once you breathe it in, it stays in your lungs forever,” said parent Felipe Riccio. “You can stand in the playground where the kids do recess and see the plant, hear the plant.”
Some of the parents have also retained legal counsel and filed a formal motion with TCEQ commissioners asking them to overturn the plant’s permits.
When we reached out to TCEQ for a comment, they told us they had no comment and we’re still waiting to hear back from TxDOT on that air monitoring.
Meanwhile, the parents say they are going to continue to protest until they find a solution.
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