By David Taylor / Managing Editor
At the most recent meeting of the Texas Health and Environment Alliance (THEA) last week, community members voiced mounting frustration over continued delays in the cleanup of the San Jacinto River Waste Pit Superfund site. THEA founder and executive director Jackie Medcalf opened the meeting by acknowledging both the “exciting stuff” and “frustrating stuff” on the agenda, emphasizing the group’s mission for newcomers.
“We work to protect public health and the environment from the harmful effects of toxic waste. When it comes to toxic waste and contamination, we focus on the old stuff, the stuff that got dumped decades ago that has yet to be dealt with.”
Medcalf provided a high-level overview of the Superfund site’s history, noting that while the EPA ordered a full cleanup after Hurricane Harvey, “we are still battling for that to take place for the northern site.” She criticized the EPA for authorizing “an enormous amount of delays since that 2017 decision,” and described the current situation as a “standstill process” with no clear timeline for action.
“They said it’s illegal right now and the project managers cannot disclose any information. For all we know, they can make a decision tomorrow or they can make a decision in five more months. But there is more than enough information for them to make a very well-informed decision to move this site towards cleanup. But they have to make that decision,” Metcalf said.
The meeting also highlighted the community’s ongoing efforts to pressure elected officials.
“Where are our politicians representing us? Where’s that? I’ve never seen them come up here. The only thing we have here to move this thing forward is to get the politicians on our side. How do we do that? We can’t even get them here,” one attendee remarked, capturing the mood of many present. Medcalf responded by promising to send copies of the group’s petition to congressional representatives, underscoring the importance of grassroots advocacy.
“Our voices, our community members matter, all of us and so it’s going to take us making them do the right thing.”
A new development discussed at the meeting was the ongoing problem of people fishing in contaminated waters near the waste pits. Despite posted advisories, “the fish in the area are highly contaminated, but the fish are plentiful and it is a good fishing spot,” Medcalf reported. She urged attendees to report sightings of fishing activity, explaining that these reports are forwarded to the EPA’s remedial project manager and included in weekly activity logs.
The meeting also included updates on related issues, such as delays in the San Jacinto River bridge replacement project and the recent release of a cancer assessment by the state health department. Medcalf criticized the state for withholding detailed cancer data, saying, “The data you all have asked for, it exists and we’re just being denied this information. So, to me, I was talking with one of my mentors and she had let me know about a campaign a community did and it was that you’re insulting our dignity. I’m thinking, they’re denying us data and they’re insulting our dignity. You know, I mean, it’s just, it’s the community’s data.”
Looking ahead, THEA announced two upcoming town halls focused on air and water pollution and barge-related benzene issues, encouraging community members to attend and stay engaged. Medcalf closed the meeting by reaffirming THEA’s commitment following the recent merger.
“I want you all to know that I’m not going anywhere and that THEA is not going anywhere. This is my hometown. This is what started THEA and our hearts, our passion, everything remains. Our commitment remains,” she said.
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