Media Contact: Brenda Franco
[email protected] | 832.755.6220
Missouri City, TX — October 8, 2025 — Following months of organized community resistance, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has granted a Contested Case Hearing (CCH) to Karen Sullivan, a fenceline resident whose family home sits next door to the proposed Verti-Crete concrete batch plant in Missouri City. The decision, made at today’s TCEQ Commissioners’ meeting, marks a significant step forward for local residents and advocates demanding environmental protections for their community.
However, despite living within the 440-yard impact zone, other nearby residents, including the Wright family, were denied affected person status and the opportunity for a hearing. The Commission also denied a motion filed by the Fort Bend County Attorney for reconsideration, further raising concerns about inconsistencies in how TCEQ defines and evaluates “affected persons” in pollution permit cases.
Community Response
“Due to this close proximity, they all stand the risk of experiencing the negative health impacts associated with long-term exposure to particulate matter pollution,”
The Contested Case Hearing must be scheduled within 180 days of today’s decision. During that time, Verti-Crete will be required to defend its permit application before the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), where expert testimony and evidence will be allowed.
Nearby residents and advocates argue that the proposed plant threatens public health in a predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhood already facing disproportionate pollution burdens. More than 1,300 households, three schools, two clinics, two nursing homes, two childcare centers, one church, and a community park sit within close proximity to the proposed site.
Community Demands Remain Clear
Residents and advocates are continuing to call on TCEQ to:
- Deny Verti-Crete’s permit outright due to community health risks.
- If the permit proceeds, require fenceline air monitoring and the strongest possible pollution controls.
- Grant affected person status to all fenceline residents within the 440-yard zone in Missouri City.
- Ensure transparency and community input throughout the permit review process.
“We are standing right now in the backyard of one of the residents who is literally on the fence line,” said Huma Ahmed of the Fort Bend County Attorney’s Office, “This is not where a concrete batch plant should be located.”
Next Steps
The community is organizing to ensure that their voices are represented throughout the contested case process. Additionally, residents are closely watching as the TCEQ prepares for the upcoming hearing on the implementation of Senator Carol Alvarado’s bill, which would strengthen public health reviews for concrete batch plants. That hearing is currently scheduled for November 20, 2025.
About the Campaign
Impacted residents are leading this effort in collaboration with Air Alliance Houston, Fort Bend County officials, and local advocates. Earlier this month, residents and elected leaders gathered for a press conference at the Sullivan family home to speak out against the Verti-Crete permit and demand environmental protections for Missouri City families.
About Air Alliance Houston
Air Alliance Houston is a nonprofit organization working to reduce the public health impacts of air pollution and advance environmental justice. Through community advocacy, research, and education, AAH fights for clean air for all. Learn more at www.airalliancehouston.org.
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