Community Under Threat: A Concrete Crusher's Impact on Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital and Beyond
Less than a quarter mile away from Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, Texas Coastal Materials, LLC has requested a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) permit for a rock and concrete crusher facility to be built, something that local officials are trying to prevent due to health and safety hazards.
The operation of a concrete crusher will pollute the air with particulate matter. Medical experts say particulate matter can cause health issues.
"It should be obvious to all that it is not good for society to put a polluting facility like a concrete crushing plant just across the street from a hospital that treats some of the most vulnerable folks in our community," said Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee.
Houston has hundreds of concrete batch plants, also known to emit particulate matter, that are mainly found in underserved areas. Although concrete batch plants are different than concrete crushing facilities, they can cause health problems too. A concrete batch plant is near LBJ Hospital. In fact, some of these plants are within a few miles of each other, but they are noticeably absent from affluent neighborhoods like River Oaks.
Breathing in particulate matter can be harmful to your health. It impacts people who have heart or lung disease, older adults, babies, and children. Particle pollution has been linked to lung cancer, eye irritation, lung and throat irritation, and can cause problems in babies at birth, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital was the first in Texas to be designated a Level III Trauma Center, which sees more than 80,000 emergency patients a year. Spanning four floors, the hospital can accommodate 215 beds.
The hospital and its patients won’t be the only people impacted by the concrete crusher, as walking trails, parks, places of worship, and residential areas are in the vicinity of the crusher. The Harris County Attorney’s Office is committed to helping Harris County and its residents receive civil justice, and the office previously won a settlement against Volkswagen for the company violating the Clean Air Act.
The Harris County Attorney’s Office, on behalf of Harris County and Harris Health, is submitting a written letter to TCEQ opposing the permit. You can also submit an e-comment via TCEQ’s website and attend a public meeting on Dec. 7, 2023. Your written comment will be formally on the record. You’ll also be able to ask questions at the public meeting, but your questions or comments will not be formally on the record. The informational meeting will be held at New Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church at 6 p.m.
References:
- https://www.cdc.gov/air/particulate_matter.html#:~:text=Breathing%20in%20particle%20pollution%20can,are%20types%20of%20PM10
- https://www.harrishealth.org/locations-hh/Pages/lbj.aspx