Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee Secures Victory in Lawsuit Against Cement Facility
Houston, Texas (June 2, 2022) – Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee, along with the Attorney General of Texas, resolved an environmental enforcement action against Sesco Cement, Corp. for violations of state environmental laws at a cement packaging and distribution facility in East Harris County.
Sesco agreed to pay $480,000 in civil penalties, pay the County’s attorney fees, and during the course of the litigation undertook significant clean-up of the facility.
“Cement facilities that don’t follow the rules put communities at risk,” said County Attorney Menefee. “They pollute the air with cement dust that is harmful when breathed by nearby residents, especially children. We inspected this facility multiple times and found many issues, including cement dust plumes, polluted runoff water, and discharges in storm drains.
We expect our neighboring businesses to do things right. These kinds of violations cannot and will not be tolerated.”
Harris County Pollution Control Services Department conducted more than 25 separate inspections at the facility— located at 8510 East Sam Houston Parkway North, Houston, Harris County, Texas 77044—since 2019, resulting in violations that have since been resolved. The County sued Sesco for violations of the Texas Clean Air Act, the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act, and the Texas Water Code.
About the Harris County Attorney’s Office
Christian D. Menefee serves as the elected, top civil lawyer for Texas’ largest county. The Harris County Attorney’s Office represents the county in all civil matters including lawsuits. Menefee leads an office of 250 attorneys and staff members. He entered office at 32 years old, making him the youngest person and first African American elected as the Harris County Attorney.
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