Houston, Texas- Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee joined Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Congressman Sylvester Turner during a press conference on Monday, February 10, 2025, to discuss toxic chemicals found at Julia C. Hester House, a community center in the Fifth Ward that serves over 1,500 residents.
Union Pacific, under the EPA’s supervision, completed soil sampling in schools, parks and other public areas as part of the investigation into potential contamination at the former Houston Wood Preserving Works site in the Fifth Ward. Sample results for the Julia C. Hester House Community Center were shared with Harris County officials last week on January 31, 2025, and revealed high levels of dioxin, a cancer-causing toxin.
“If cancer clusters were found at River Oaks, every single level of government would be doing everything they can to make sure that the testing was completed swiftly, and every type of remediation effort would be taken. Money would be spent to protect these communities,” County Attorney Menefee said.
“Stay the course in Fifth Ward. Do right by these seniors. Do right by these kids. Every family, regardless of their zip code deserves fresh air, clean water, and safe land,” Menefee continued.
Two areas at the Community Center showed dioxin levels above the child safety limit. The EPA will conduct more testing to understand the extent of contamination in a small green space behind the Julia C. Hester House Community Center near Boyce Dorian Park. However, no further testing is needed in other areas at this facility, and a full health risk assessment will be completed in the coming months.
Harris County officials are now taking precautionary safety measures to remediate residents’ concerns.