HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A new dashboard shows what many Kashmere Garden neighbors have been saying for years: There’s something in the soil making them sick.
After months of testing near a railyard in the Fifth Ward, we’re getting our first look at the results.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dashboard shows the area where the sampling took place, how many results have come back, and exactly what chemicals were found.
The agency found higher-than-normal levels of creosote-related chemicals — including Benzene — in the water and soil, which are cancer-causing chemicals.
The EPA started sampling five months ago after neighbors raised concerns about health issues living near the Union Pacific Railyard — which used to burn wood with creosote.
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Studies have found a higher-than-normal cancer rate in the area. Neighbors feared the creosote got into the soil and water and made them sick.
One neighbor who has battled cancer spoke to ABC13 as the EPA started its testing.
“I want people to know that this community is no longer the path of least resistance,” Joetta Stevenson said.
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These aren’t the first soil samples that show chemical concerns.
Last summer, the City of Houston did soil sampling as well and said all samples came back positive with cancer-causing chemicals.
They wanted the EPA to do more because it’s able to do more extensive sampling.
The city took 42 samples, and the EPA dashboard shows it took nearly 120 samples.
It’s not done yet, though. The EPA is still waiting on results from more than 65 samples.
The EPA says it could take another four months to complete its testing, and will continue to update the dashboard as more results come in.
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