Community air monitors captured elevated particulate matter pollution more than four miles downwind; nearby neighborhoods include thousands of residences, schools, childcare centers, parks, and places of worship.
Media Contact: Brenda Franco | [email protected] | 832.755.6220
HOUSTON, TX — Air Alliance Houston will hold a news conference tomorrow morning (June 25) at 9:00 a.m. to provide remarks on the massive fire at Mammoth Metal Recycling in Manchester that burned for over 24 hours.
The fire, involving tires and recycling debris, raises serious concerns about what nearby residents and downwind communities were breathing during and after the incident. Air Alliance Houston’s community air monitors recorded elevated levels of fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, in the hours of the fire.
Two monitors, located approximately 1.5 miles apart and both downwind of the facility, captured air pollution peaks at approximately the same time.
This raises urgent concerns that communities surrounding the facility may have experienced even higher levels of particulate pollution.
Air Alliance Houston will share their analysis, community health concerns, and questions that remain for regulators and public officials. Local residents will also share their view on what needs to be done to prevent an event like this in the future.
WHAT: News conference following the Mammoth Metal Recycling fire.
WHEN: Thursday, June 25, 2026. 9:00 a.m.
WHERE: 7400 Manchester St., Houston, TX 77012
WHO: Air Alliance Houston representatives, community members, and public health and environmental justice advocates.
WHY: Mammoth Metal Recycling is located near densely populated neighborhoods and sensitive-use areas. According to AAH-AirMail.org, there are approximately:
- 1,066 residences within 0.5 miles
- 5,281 residences within 1 mile
An EJScreen report for the 1-mile radius around the facility shows that nearby residents are predominantly low-income, limited-English-speaking, and Hispanic or Latino. The data also show multiple schools, childcare centers, parks, natural areas, and places of worship in the path of the pollution.
The fire burned for approximately 24 hours before being contained. Although local and state agencies monitoring air quality did not report high readings at the time, Air Alliance Houston remains concerned about the health impacts of the fire and how the air monitoring data were analyzed.
There are also policy actions that our elected officials can take to help prevent a facility like this from harming air quality in the future.
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About Air Alliance Houston
Air Alliance Houston is a non-profit advocacy organization working to reduce the public health impacts from air pollution and advance environmental justice through applied research, education, and advocacy. For more information and resources, please visit www.airalliancehouston.org.
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