Houston’s Fifth Ward residents have been canvassing their area, urging neighbors to permit soil testing on their properties for chemicals that cause cancer, in an effort to collect vital environmental data. Union Pacific is leading the studies, which are being monitored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ascertain whether the neighborhood is experiencing a health crisis as a result of past contamination from an abandoned creosote wood-treatment facility at a nearby train yard. The EPA has extended the deadline for soil testing, giving locals more time to agree to the evaluations necessary for possible remediation activities, according to a report from FOX26 Houston.
Following the discovery of a cancer cluster in the area by a previous research, there is a demand for additional soil samples. Only 185 soil samples have been collected thus far, compared to Union Pacific’s target of 343 samples. The testing was conducted in response to local residents’ worries regarding the ongoing health problems, some of whom, like Joetta Stevenson, a resident of the Fifth Ward, suggested a connection to the railyard toxins. Stevenson told FOX26 Houston, “I grew up at least one block from a rail line, and I’ve had breast cancer twice, twice.”
However, obtaining homeowners’ signed consents is still a major obstacle. It’s really, really crucial. Why? Union Pacific spokesman Toni Harrison stressed in a statement received by FOX26 Houston that “we cannot go on private property and take that sample of soil without a signed agreement because it is the only way to tell if a contamination is on a property.” Only over 55% of property owners have responded favorably to the testing, which means that many sites could go untested and hence not be eligible for cleanup.
Community members like Sandra Edwards and Joetta Stevenson, president of the Fifth Ward Super Neighborhood, increased their outreach as the deadline approached. According to the Houston Chronicle’s findings, they received a range of responses, with some developers apparently unwilling to acknowledge the toxin’s presence on their properties. Particularly with lots like the overgrown site on Erastus Street, which may give pristine samples but for which the owners are unknown, Edwards voiced displeasure over the difficulty.
The glaring lack of confidence between Union Pacific and the community has not gone ignored, as locals have expressed their doubts at conferences. “We do not trust y all,” said Joe Ballard, a longtime train yard neighbor, at a recent roundtable discussion. Union Pacific spokeswoman Robynn Tysver stated, “We canvassed the neighborhoods six times, knocking on doors and talking to residents face-to-face, and we sent seven mailers to each property owner with information about the soil tests.” The company’s attempts to establish trust through door-knocking campaigns and social media initiatives have been met with varying degrees of success. An interview with the Houston Chronicle highlighted this noteworthy outreach initiative.
The community, which has long needed specific answers on their exposure to creosote, is eagerly awaiting the findings of the soil sampling, which is scheduled in January, as the investigation progresses.
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