EPA grant could help pinpoint source of air pollutants in high-risk neighborhoods in Houston

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A new grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could help the City of Houston better pinpoint the sources of air pollutants in vulnerable communities. The Houston Health Department (HHD) said it will use part of the nearly $500,000 in funds to add more air monitors in three vulnerable neighborhoods.

The announcement was made during a press conference Monday morning at the Houston Botanical Gardens with EPA Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance, Houston Health Department's Chief Environmental Science Officer Dr. Loren Hopkins, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, Congressman Al Green, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, and Councilmember Robert Gallegos. The funding comes from the Biden-Harris Administration's Inflation Reduction Act.

The neighborhoods that the grant will focus on are Meadowbrook/Allendale, Park Place, and Pecan Park, as well as zip codes 77012 and 77017. Nine stationary air monitors will be installed near residents' homes, and a mobile monitor will be placed on top of an electric vehicle that will drive around the area. This is in addition to two stationary monitors already in place at Milby and Chavez high schools.

The new air monitors will target four hazardous air pollutants, including 1,3-butadiene, benzene, formaldehyde, and ethylene oxide.

"If we find a hot spot, we will reorient locations and try to hone in on that. The mobile monitoring vehicle will be driving on routes that the community has indicated where they think high concentrations are. Through time, we'll be able to narrow down where we need to be driving," Hopkins said.

Nance explained that the EPA currently uses regional air monitors, which measure an average from a large area. But there are hot spots inside of that area where certain communities are experiencing higher pollution levels than average. The new equipment will allow them to identify exactly where the toxic emissions are coming from.

Hopkins said HHD's new program will be conducted in partnership with several community agencies, such as Air Alliance Houston. Its outreach coordinator, Diamond Pham, applauded the grant award from the EPA as someone who's lived in the Park Place neighborhood her entire life.

"A lot of residents have no idea we are living in an area that has increased our chances of getting cancer. I had no idea that refineries near me could affect my life negatively in the long run until pretty recently," Pham told ABC13. "It's a good first step to introduce to the community as to what's going on with our air."

Leticia Gutierrez, the director of government relations and community outreach for Air Alliance Houston, lives in Glenbrook Valley near Park Place. She shared that her son suffers from respiratory issues, and they often have to travel to the west side of town in order to enjoy time outside.

"It's difficult when you have an industry blaring in the middle of the day, and you're coughing. It's just not a good, healthy environment. Living, playing, and just trying to thrive in this area has always been a challenge for him," Gutierrez said.

In addition to the new air monitors, officials said the EPA grant will be used for education and action. HHD will also focus on educating residents on the dangers of toxic air emissions and reducing harmful pollutants in the area. It's something Gutierrez said is extremely needed in these areas.

"These are communities with a huge immigrant population. You have the Hispanic and Vietnamese communities in Park Place. So language barrier is one of the biggest things," Gutierrez said. "We're not only putting things out on our website, but encouraging the TCEQ to offer materials in other languages as well."

Gutierrez hopes new information and data coming from these air monitors will aid them in advocating for stricter laws and policies for the industries contributing to these pollutants.

Hopkins said the EPA grant will last for three years.

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