Cancer-causing pollutants found in Houston Shipping Channel sediment
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Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Sediment from the bottom of the Houston Ship Channel has concerning levels of cancer-causing chemicals, according to test results collected by a coalition of Houston-area environmental organizations.
Why it matters: Project 11, the latest expansion effort that aims to widen and deepen the channel, is entering the next phase of dredging.
- Sludge from the bottom of the ship channel has long been dumped in nearby port communities like Galena Park and Pleasantville.
State of play: Residents, advocates and researchers are demanding officials with the Port of Houston and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who are partnering on Project 11, thoroughly test the area for pollutants, be transparent about the results, and protect the communities from flooding, as they worry contaminated dredged material could seep into residents' homes.
What they're saying: "We see no reason that the industries that sit along the ship channel, who the dredging is for, and the agencies that conduct the projects couldn't afford to pay for safe disposal of the sediments in areas that don't affect low income communities and neighborhoods of people of color," said Naomi Yoder, a researcher at Texas Southern University's Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, at a press conference earlier this week.
What they found: The results, from the sediment sample conducted by the Healthy Port Communities Coalition and analysis of Army Corps data, found 11 pollutants that exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's carcinogenic screening levels.
- The found pollutants include benzidine, arsenic, dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which the U.S. has banned since 1979.
The other side: The Port of Houston told Axios it "cares deeply about the health and safety of our neighboring communities" and heard their concerns.
- The port said that the Army Corps had tested the sediments and that "we have seen no evidence of contamination or discharges at any of the dredged material placement areas that would pose a hazard to human health."
- The port added the economic benefit of the ship channel, saying it adds $906 billion in national economic value and "improving the Channel is necessary for the continued economic prosperity of our region and the safety and efficiency of the nation's busiest waterway."