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.