Houston received nearly 4,000 calls for illegal dumping within 6 months, officials say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Residents in southeast Houston are fed up with a pile of trash at Lancaster and McHenry, so they called Eyewitness News.

Juan Otero and Joe Flores have lived in the neighborhood for 39 years.

But this is a neighbor they never asked for.

Old mattresses, food waste, and even a shopping cart are spilling into the street, taking over nearly a block.

"As you can smell, there might be a dead animal in there," Flores said. "It's just a health hazard."

Illegal dumping in Houston can result in a $4,000 fine and possible jail time, yet those who do it don't seem to be deterred.

Since the beginning of April, the city has received nearly 4,000 calls for illegal dumping.

But, according to the city's solid waste department, storm debris collection has taken priority over other services in the past several months.

According to District I councilman Joaquin Martinez, crews cleaned up the area earlier this year.

But the trash is back, and some residents wonder: What will it take to fix the problem for good?

"It's the least they can do for the taxes we pay," Otero said. "Keeps going up and up."

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