House Bill 1627 would give certain unzoned areas the right to deny concrete batch plant permits next to a sensitive site such as a home or school. HB 1627 was heard by the House Environmental Regulation Committee on March 29. It has since been left pending in committee.
WATCH THE FULL COMMITTEE HEARING HERE
Take Action by writing to your representative and demanding that they work to pass this legislation to protect citizens of Texas. You can find a sample script below. Personal letters are most effective so please add your own testimony and let lawmakers know how these concrete batch plants have affected you and your loved ones. You can find more information about the harmful impacts of concrete batch plants after the letter.FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE HERE
Dear [REPRESENTATIVE],
My name is [FULL NAME HERE]. I am writing to you in support of HB 1627 by Rep. Senfronia Thompson, relating to the issuance of air quality permits for concrete plants located in certain areas.
Texas has a history of putting business before people’s health. Concrete batch plants impose a trifecta of impact on public health and well-being in that they emit air, light, and noise pollution. Particulate matter air pollution is created from the concrete production process as well as the diesel emissions of hundreds of trucks and concrete mixers that feed plant operations. Noise and light pollution weigh heavily on nearby residents as production is frequently permitted for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week operation.
Particulate matter pollution is more than just a neighborhood nuisance. Both short and long-term exposure to Particulate Matter (PM2.5) has been associated with a range of health effects, including respiratory diseases and cancer. This is a widespread pollutant, consisting of a mixture of solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, and it is one of six pollutants subject to national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). The health of children may also be compromised by the placement of concrete batch plants in close proximity to schools. Asthma symptoms are among the leading health reasons children miss school, and exposure to particulate matter pollution can intensify and prolong these symptoms. In addition, children of color have higher rates of asthma diagnosis and worse control over their asthma symptoms compared to their white peers with asthma, and concrete batch plants are typically located in communities of color.
[YOUR PERSONAL TESTIMONY HERE]
As your constituent, I urge you to take action to protect the health and future of our children by supporting legislation to create and expand ‘buffer zones’ per HB 1627 by Rep. Senfronia Thompson, relating to the issuance of air quality permits for concrete plants located in certain areas.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
Info and statistics on concrete batch plants:
Read: Why you don’t want to live near a concrete batch plant
Dr. Bakeyah Nelson’s testimony on HB 1627 to the Environmental Regulation Committee
Concrete Batch Plant Coverage by AAH
Concrete batch plant permit applications that we are currently fighting: