Harris County is gearing up for a courtroom fight over the Hawthorn Park Recycling & Disposal Facility, the long-contested landfill that sits beside the Carverdale neighborhood in northwest Houston. County Attorney Abbie Kamin has launched legal action seeking to shut the site down for good after decades of resident complaints about flooding, constant odors and long-term health worries. The facility is run by USA Waste of Texas Landfills, a subsidiary of Waste Management.
County lawyers have filed a formal Notice of Intent to Sue, delivered to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Waste Management. In a press release from the Harris County Attorney's Office, Kamin said the move is aimed at pushing the landfill’s permit into closure status and forcing post-closure safeguards such as capping the site, conducting groundwater sampling and carrying out long-term environmental monitoring. According to the county, it has not received groundwater sampling data from the company in years.
The county’s June 26 letter, filed under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, sets out a series of technical allegations, including methane readings above allowable levels at property-boundary probes and elevated metals like iron and arsenic in groundwater. The Notice of Intent to File Suit identifies the operation as working under Permit No. MSW-2185 and summarizes monitoring records and testing that county attorneys say show ongoing violations. The notice, paired with the county’s public release, lays out the factual backbone they intend to rely on if the dispute moves into federal court.
Residents notched a separate win in January 2024 when USA Waste pulled back a proposed permit amendment that would have expanded the landfill, following public protests and contested hearings. That withdrawal and the community’s long-running opposition were documented by the Houston Chronicle, with earlier coverage also noting the neighborhood’s organizing efforts. Even after that victory, residents at recent meetings told county officials they still deal with floodwaters, persistent nuisance conditions and fears about potential health impacts tied to the site.
Waste Management Responds
USA Waste, the Waste Management subsidiary that operates Hawthorn Park, has pushed back on the county’s narrative. The company told local media that the facility “is governed by state regulations and a site-specific permit issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality” and that it is monitored, inspected and tested in line with applicable regulatory requirements. That statement appeared in coverage by Click2Houston and other outlets.
What Happens Next
The county’s filing invokes 42 U.S.C. § 6972(b), which starts a 90-day notice period under RCRA before a lawsuit can be formally filed. Because the letter is dated June 26, 2026, the earliest date Harris County could bring a federal RCRA complaint is Sept. 24, 2026, unless the parties reach a settlement or some other action cuts the process short. If a court ultimately orders the landfill closed, the result could include capping and covering the waste, long-term groundwater testing and continued methane monitoring, measures the county argues are necessary to better protect nearby homes.
Local Leaders React
City Council Member Amy Peck is publicly backing the county’s move, calling it overdue relief for Carverdale neighbors who have lived next to the landfill for years. The community, she said, “deserves to live in a neighborhood with clean air, safe surroundings, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing their health and quality of life are protected,” a statement included in the county’s release.
Community organizers who helped beat back the proposed expansion say they welcome the new legal push but are bracing for a long haul, warning that full-blown environmental litigation can drag on for months or even years.
For now, residents and elected officials are watching the RCRA clock and waiting to see what Harris County files next. Waste Management still has the option to seek permit amendments down the road, and neighborhood advocates say they will keep demanding independent testing and transparent oversight as the legal and regulatory fight over Hawthorn Park plays out.
