Belinda Vasquez-St. John places monitors at Galena Park City Hall.
“Galena Park, Texas is an environmental justice community of some 10,000 residents on the Houston Ship Channel. The community is surrounded by the ship channel; industry, particularly that associated with Houston petrochemical industry; rail lines; and high traffic roadways, including I-10 to the north and 610 to the west.
Air Alliance Houston has been active in Galena Park for several years. It is a community in which concerns about pollution and public health run high. However, a lack of resources and knowledge leads to very little public engagement on issues that impact environmental quality and health. Although citizens are worried about their health, there is little sense that they can personally affect change.
Air Alliance Houston and Global Community Monitor conducted a community health impact survey, and community mapping workshop, and a community air monitoring project. Air monitoring was conducted over the course of a year for fine particulate matter and elemental carbon, a surrogate for diesel pollution. The results of the yearlong community air monitoring project form the basis of this report. An independent report was produced by a graduate student at the Rice University Department of Statistics.
Diesel pollution presents an unacceptable health risk in Galena Park. Cancer risk due to diesel pollution exposure may exceed 1 in 10,000. Fine particulate matter pollution may exceed federal health standards as well.
AUSTIN – The Texas Supreme Court accepted certification from the Fifth Circuit Court to decide if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) orders a company to clean up something, is that a “suit.” This will determine who pays for cleanup of the waste pits in the San Jacinto River.
The high court will hear this case of whether an insurer has to pay for lawsuits that are in fact administrative actions of government agencies in Texas law. At present, a number of such decisions have been made in Texas and throughout the nation. The decisions reached before have fallen into three categories: those that require a formal complaint by the government agency, others saying if a letter has been issued by the agency that is like a suit, while others have determined that it may depend on how coercive the action is to the company before it is considered a suit.
Our school district is in trouble and it is up to you to save it. Yes, you. A few brave souls have talked to, written, called, or emailed the seven Board members recently to ask for action regarding the current Superintendent. 400 or more expressed their opinion by personally attending the Board meeting on July 14. Now, the Board members need to hear from the rest of the thousands of you who care about the future of GCCISD. You need to demand that they stop the damage that is being done by the Superintendent’s personnel actions, as it is negatively affecting our schools, our principals, our teachers, our administrators, our counselors, our operations and support staff, and most importantly our children. Very simply, we made a mistake when we hired Salvador Cavazos and then allowed him to dismantle the very fabric and soul of our district. You need to demand that your school Board do the right thing, right now, and terminate this Superintendent’s employment with GCCISD immediately.