weeks of growing frustration<\/a>, as parents said they still don\u2019t have clear answers about how the plant was permitted so close to schools.<\/p>\n\u201cThe message is clear, our kids need clean air, we cannot be putting at risk our kids’ health, their lungs, their brain development,\u201d said Dr. Luis Chug, a pulmonologist and parent.<\/p>\n
Dr. Joanna Scoon, a pulmonologist and parent, warned that chronic exposure to concrete dust and silica can be dangerous.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can lead to severe medical conditions, autoimmune conditions, cancer,\u201d she said. \u201cSo I\u2019m very concerned. That\u2019s why I\u2019m out here, hoping to make it a safer environment for our children.\u201d<\/p>\n
The plant was approved to operate under a temporary permit granted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in 2024 for TxDOT\u2019s I-10 expansion project. The massive project could last until 2028.<\/p>\n
TCEQ officials confirm they\u2019ve received more than 70 complaints about the plant since July 2025.<\/p>\n
The Houston Health Department has also cited the facility for \u201cnuisance dust\u201d, while a state investigation into its operations continues.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I\u2019m very concerned about the health of our kids,\u201d parent Masha Blankenship said. \u201cI\u2019m worried this could impact their health, and I\u2019ll always wonder if any complications they develop in the future are linked to this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several parents told KHOU 11 they\u2019ve already noticed health issues. Jessica Koch said her daughter developed frequent nosebleeds earlier this year when the plant started operating.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur children are more important than profits, and this is not a game to play for the next three or four years,\u201d she said. \u201cOur kids will have been impacted by then. We have to protect them now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under state law, permanent concrete batch plants must be located at least a quarter-mile from schools. However, temporary sites are allowed to operate as close as 100 feet away.<\/p>\n
Houston Councilmember Abbie Kamin, who joined parents at the protest, called it \u201ca huge regulatory loophole that we need to close immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone is working together in a bipartisan fashion to advocate and ask that this plant be shut down immediately,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Some parents said they have now retained legal counsel and are preparing to challenge the plant\u2019s permit.<\/p>\n
TxDOT sent the following statement to KHOU 11.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe acknowledge the ongoing protests and the importance of the issues being raised. We respect the right to peaceful demonstration and remain committed to open dialogue, safety, and constructive engagement. Our staff and administration are apprised of the details of the matter and will continue to monitor the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a previous statement, the plant’s contractor, Webber, defended its operations and said it is \u201coperating the facility in compliance with all applicable regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Got a news tip or story idea? Text it to us at 713-526-1111.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On Friday, parents rallied outside TxDOT\u2019s Houston office, demanding the closure of a concrete plant near their childrens’…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":169221,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5130],"tags":[4345,358,3187],"class_list":{"0":"post-169220","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-houston","9":"tag-texas","10":"tag-tx"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115078295982157393","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169220\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}