AirMail - Concrete Batch Plant Permits
Favor, permítenos mientras configuramos estas páginas en Español
Open Concrete Batch Plant Permit Applications
Do you have questions or need more help creating your comments? Email us at [email protected]. We may also be able to support/represent you if you are interested in participating in a hearing to challenge this permit.
Please make sure to contact your elected officials about your concerns regarding this proposed facility. They have networks and influence to effect change, but they need to hear from you first! Not sure who represents you? Check here.
Application by Rocket Materials, LLC
Rocket Materials, LLC, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for the amendment of Permit No. 157195. This application would authorize modification of a Concrete Batch Plant located at 914 Pinafore Lane, Houston, Harris County, Texas 77039.
Immediate actions and help documents:
⚠️ ACTION: Submit public comments by Jul 30, 2022
Written public comments should be submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087, or electronically at https://www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/Resources:
⚠️ ACTION: Ask your State Representative and State Senator to request a public meeting by July 30, 2022
The TCEQ must organize a public meeting at the request of local State legislators
Resources:
⚠️ ACTION: Request a Contested Case Hearing
Resources:
What are Concrete Batch Plants and why are they an air quality concern?
Concrete batch plants are facilities that mix cement, sand, and aggregates with water to create the concrete used to construct bridges, buildings, roads, and more. While these projects are often necessary, living near one of these facilities can significantly impact your health and quality of life in a number of ways. Currently, there are no meaningful restrictions on where these facilities are constructed relative to homes, schools, parks, and other places where people live, work, and play.
Concrete batch plants produce a lot of dust, especially the smallest and most difficult to detect dust, known as fine particulate matter, or PM2.5. These particles are able to penetrate deep into the lungs and may enter your bloodstream. This kind of pollution can pose serious health risks:
- It can lead to heart and lung disease, as well as cancer, and is known to affect lung development in children;
- Is known to trigger or worsen chronic diseases such as asthma, heart attack, bronchitis, and other respiratory problems;
- Has been associated with a higher risk for birth defects when pregnant people are exposed;
- It may cause immediate or delayed irritation
Concrete batch plants significantly increase the presence of heavy-duty vehicles on neighborhood roadways. The noise, traffic, wear and tear of local roadways makes living and travel for residents unsafe and unbearable. Diesel-fueled vehicles within the heavy-duty fleet emit black carbon and nitrogen oxide into residential neighborhoods. Diesel exhaust contains both very small particles and 40 chemicals that are classified as “hazardous air pollutants” under the Clean Air Act. The pollution in the exhaust can aggravate asthma and allergies, as well as cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Vehicle emissions are still present and harmful even when you can’t see the exhaust.
If the facility operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as would be allowed by the permit, you may be subject to 24/7 exposure to harmful air pollutants that can exacerbate existing health conditions.
The TCEQ’s spotty history in regulating Concrete Batch Plant facility operations creates uncertainty around any CBP’s ability to operate responsibly and prevent anticipated impacts to nearby residents. In 2021, Harris County Pollution Control issued over 80 violation notices after conducting 149 inspections of Harris County concrete batch plants.
In Harris County, concrete batch plants are predominantly located in communities of color and with lower incomes. Some of these facilities are located in residential areas and neighborhoods, close to schools, parks, and homes. The surrounding residents are shouldered with the burden of breathing dust and polluted air.
Please note: While we encourage you to bring up any concerns when challenging a permit, please keep in mind that the TCEQ will be concerned with air pollution impacts to health and environmental welfare. We recommend that you focus your arguments on the possible impacts to your health and quality of life.