Shredding Lives: Metal recycling plants damages East End community

Photo by Ivan Castillo

Is $118 billion brought in from the Houston Ship Channel worth the health of the East End Community?  Due to two metal recycling plants along the Houston Ship Channel, toxins are released into the air during the shredding process. Through the shredding of cars, tires, and any scrap metals, the plants Hahn & Clay and Derichebourg Recycling USA create a sludge that is composed of steel, metal alloys, and synthetic materials. This releases cancer causing chemicals, such as 1,3-butadiene and benzene, into Buffalo Bayou and the surrounding East End Community. According to a 2007 study done by the University of Texas Health Science Center, these air pollutants increase the risks of acquiring cancer for those who live along the Houston Ship Channel, including the residents of the East End Community.

Photo by Ivan Castillo

There are other negative effects as well and the people of East End Houston will not take it sitting down. One of these people is Juan Parras, an activist from Texas Environment Justice Advocacy Services (T.e.j.a.s). T.e.j.a.s is a non-profit organization that focuses on the education of the community about environmental issues. Juan Parras, the director of T.e.j.a.s, is focused on maintaining the “character” of East End Houston by attracting attention to the damage that is being done to the Buffalo Bayou. Asides from increasing the risk of cancer, the clouds of particles that are released from these recycling plants can cause burning eyes, asthma, and premature death in those with preexisting cardiovascular and respiratory problems. Even for those who do not experience health problems from the plants’ emissions, the East End community experiences the occasional explosion from the plants or their property may be covered with a film of dust caused by plant emissions. Added to these difficulties, Houston does not have any zoning laws that restrict recycling plants from locating next to housing developments. These recycling plants move into low income communities such as East End because the citizens are less likely to know of their rights to remove these infrastructures or have the proper funding to protest.

Juan Parras said that 80 citizens from the East End community have signed a petition complaining about plant emissions to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. While there are people such as Parras who want these recycling plants out of their community, $118 billion is generated by businesses such as these as a statewide economic impact. Should it be shredding lives or shredding cars?

Written by Anna Gallegos, Jose Santos, and Ruth Montez.