"Sylvester Turner’s request comes after Texas health officials found elevated incidences of leukemia and numerous cancers in the city’s predominantly Black Fifth Ward."
"Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has asked the Biden administration to seek fines and order the cleanup of a hazardous waste site owned by the Union Pacific Railroad that has been linked to two cancer clusters among nearby residents.
In a June 25 letter to Michael S. Regan, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Turner asked that the EPA investigate the health threat and “secure truly meaningful relief” for the predominantly African American community, “including relocation for impacted residents.”
“We need EPA’s help,” Turner said, “to help mitigate environmental risks to this overburdened community and advance environmental justice.”
Turner’s request came after Texas health officials in January found that children living in the city’s largely Black Fifth Ward and Kashmere Garden neighborhoods contracted acute lymphoblastic leukemia at a five times greater rate compared to the state average."
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