Harris County is cracking down on a concrete batch plant accused of flouting environmental regulations. The county, teaming up with the State of Texas, filed a lawsuit against Texcon Ready Mix Inc., alleging that the company violated the Texas Clean Air Act and other environmental laws. The plant, operating in north Houston, has sparked a backlash from local residents worried about pollution risks.
The county's lawsuit follows a series of twelve inspections by Harris County Pollution Control Services, each revealing "significant, repeated violations," according to Houston Chronicle. Details include accusations that the plant was not properly maintained, showcasing visible air polluting emissions and failing to prevent concrete dust, a known respiratory hazard, from escaping the site. The problematic plant is located at 3315 Carr Street and is one of five operated by Texcon Ready Mix in a Houston area.
Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee is spearheading the legal action, emphasizing the urgency of holding such companies to account. "We have given them plenty of opportunity to clean up their act and follow the law, but since they have failed to do so we are taking action," Menefee told Style Magazine. The county's legal filing does not seek monetary damages but demands Texcon Ready Mix maintain pollution controls, promptly address spills, pave and treat roads, as well as install pollution monitors and store materials safely away from people's homes.
Texcon Ready Mix, which has been running the facility since August 2020, had not responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting. The lawsuit signals Harris County's larger commitment to environmental regulations, particularly in a region with no zoning laws where the state agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, has been criticized for lax oversight. Menefee hopes the legal action will put other batch plants on notice, affirming, "Hopefully this will serve as a notice to other concrete batch plants that we are serious about enforcing environmental laws here in Harris County," as reported by the Style Magazine. The state is expected to roll out new regulations for the industry later this month.
