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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 14 July 2023
Houston to spend millions to relocate residents living near polluted

Union Pacific rail yard

By JUAN A. LOZANO road company and by lo-
Associated Press cal officials.
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Pamela Matthews, 61, who
plans to spend millions of has lived in the Fifth Ward
dollars to relocate residents neighborhood since she
from neighborhoods locat- was 5 years old, said Thurs-
ed near a rail yard polluted day was the one-year an-
by a cancer-linked wood niversary of her mother’s
preservative that has been death from cancer. Her
blamed for an increase in brother is currently fighting
cancer cases, the city’s cancer. Her family home is
mayor announced Thurs- two blocks from the Union
day. Pacific rail yard.
Texas health officials in “My kids, my grandkids,
2019 identified a cancer that was the family home.
cluster in Houston’s histori- We put everything we had
cally Black Fifth Ward and vested into that property
Kashmere Gardens neigh- and we made it through
borhoods. A second clus- and we were happy and
ter was identified in 2021. we had God and we didn’t
Health officials have found think for one second that
higher rates of respiratory we were at risk,” Matthews
cancers as well as child- said during Thursday’s news
hood cancers, including A prop skeleton dressed iin a “Creosote Killed Me” T-shirt sits in the middle of the seating during conference.
acute lymphoblastic leuke- a community meeting put on by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, held at the Turner said relocating fami-
Deluxe Theater Tuesday, May 3, 2022 in Houston.
mia. Associated Press lies from among the 100
Residents and local officials properties that have been
have long blamed the high cific rail yard found dioxin, by December. termine the true extent and affected by the contami-
number of cancer cases a highly toxic chemical Union Pacific “has an open source of contamination in nation could cost up to $26
on contamination from a compound associated with invitation to help fund this the neighborhood. Reloca- million. The city is looking at
Union Pacific rail yard near cancer and other health (relocation) effort and to tion should be based on a internal as well as federal
both neighborhoods. Creo- risks. participate in this process, human health risk assess- funding to help pay for the
sote, which has been as- Mayor Sylvester Turner said if they so choose. But they ment.” relocation program, which
sociated with an increased the city has spoken with not only have a legal obli- Union Pacific said it’s fo- will be put together by a
risk of contracting cancer, Union Pacific for months gation, they have a moral cused on the community’s strike force made up of
was used for more than about helping relocate obligation. How many safety, and it has “made health, housing and com-
80 years at the site until residents, but the company more families do you need measurable progress with munity development offi-
the 1980s. City officials say has indicated it wants to to see suffer? How many on-site clean-up since ac- cials.
the contamination has wait until additional testing more children must die be- quiring the property in a No timetable was given for
reached the groundwater is complete. Testing of the fore they have a moral ob- 1997 merger and are com- when the relocation pro-
in the neighborhoods. area through a consent or- ligation to step in?” Turner mitted to finishing the job.” cess could be completed.
In September 2022, the der from the Environmental said during a news confer- Residents of the neighbor- Turner said the relocation
Houston Health Depart- Protection Agency is set ence. hoods say they have long effort will extend beyond
ment announced that test- to be conducted through In a statement, Union Pacif- felt their concerns for their his administration as his final
ing of surface soil samples September, with the results ic said additional testing is health and safety have term as mayor concludes
from around the Union Pa- scheduled to be released “required to accurately de- been ignored by the rail- at the end of December.q

Republican senator should drop his

‘irresponsible’ protest

partment policy that pays without a confirmed leader lowing the NATO summit in
for travel when a service for the first time in a centu- Lithuania this week.
member has to go out of ry because of the block. It “The idea that we’re inject-
state to get an abortion or also affects scores of one-, ing into fundamental for-
reproductive care. two- and three-star officers eign policy decisions what,
“He’s jeopardizing U.S. se- who are assigned to new in fact, is a domestic social
curity by what he’s doing,” base commands. debate on social issues is
Biden said of Sen. Tommy “I’d be willing to talk to him bizarre,” Biden said.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., a member of the Senate Tuberville. “It’s just totally ir- if I thought there was any There were also efforts at
Armed Services Committee, talks to reporters at the Capitol in responsible in my view.” possibility of changing his the Pentagon to encour-
Washington, May 16, 2023. More than 260 nominations ridiculous position,” Biden age Tuberville to drop his
Associated Press
are stalled by Tuberville, said during a press confer- opposition. The senator
By CHRIS MEGERIAN and said it is “irresponsible” of including Biden’s pick for ence with the president of told reporters later Thurs-
COLLEEN LONG a Republican senator from the chairman of the Joint Finland. day that he had just spo-
Associated Press Alabama to block confir- Chiefs of Staff, America’s Biden traveled to Finland ken with Defense Secretary
HELSINKI (AP) — President mation of military officers top military officer. The U.S. as a show of support for the Lloyd Austin and expected
Joe Biden on Thursday in protest of a Defense De- Marine Corps is currently new NATO member, fol- to speak with him again.q