January 12, 2024 by Clarissa Ayala
Community Victory: Waste Management Withdraws Landfill Expansion Permit Application in Carverdale Area
Houston, TX, January 12, 2024 – In a monumental win for the Carverdale community, Applicant USA Waste of Texas Landfills, Inc., affiliated with Waste Management, has officially withdrawn its application for a permit to expand the “Hawthorn Park” landfill on Tanner Road in the Carverdale area of Houston, Texas. This decision from Waste Management to withdraw from an ongoing contested case hearing comes as a direct result of the determined advocacy efforts in that case led by community groups, Harris County, other interested parties, and individual Carverdale residents represented by Lone Star Legal Aid’s environmental justice team.
The Carverdale community has long been grappling with the adverse effects of the landfill, affecting residents’ health, property values, and overall well-being. The withdrawal of the permit application marks a significant milestone in the fight against the environmental and social injustices inflicted upon the community. Since 2000, the historic landfill was notified for closure until Waste Management filed this permit for a vertical and lateral expansion of the landfill in 2021. After over two years of public outcry against this proposed expansion, there is hope that the landfill will finally be closed for good.
Victor Hebert, a resident who lives across the street from the landfill, shared his relief and gratitude, stating, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. We thank God for the prayers of so many in our community and state for this victory. Hallelujah!!!” He emphasized the personal, physical, economic, and environmental brutality suffered by the community and expressed hope for healing.
Myra Jefferson, another resident and active advocate, expressed thanks to everyone involved in the fight, especially acknowledging the efforts of Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee and his staff. Looking ahead, Jefferson urged further actions to prevent future threats, stating, “We are thankful and grateful to everyone that labored in our fight, but especially Lone Star Legal Aid and the Harris County Attorney, Christian D. Menefee, for Waste Management is withdrawing its permit application. Now to prevent a 20-story Mountain of Trash from being constructed in Carverdale in the future, we would like to ask Mayor John Whitmire to eminent domain Clara Road, Crawford Road, Dancy Road, Olga Lane; and for the Hawthorne Park Landfill to be declared a Brownfield; so, Carverdale can finally look forward to some type of Community Development, instead of a landfill in its backyard.”
Iesheia Ayers Wilson, representing the Carverdale community, emphasized the importance of remaining vigilant for the overall improvement of the community’s quality of life. She expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the fight and affirmed the community’s commitment, stating, “On to the next fight…#carverdalestrong.”
Our environmental justice team, representing Gregory Hudson and Myra Jefferson in the contested case hearing, played an important role in supporting the community’s cause throughout the permitting process before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the State Office of Administrative Hearings. Our efforts, and collaboration with various stakeholders, prove that collective advocacy can bring about positive change and protect communities from environmental harm.
This victory not only safeguards the Carverdale community from the immediate threat of landfill expansion but also serves as a beacon of hope for other communities facing similar challenges. The withdrawal of Waste Management’s permit application is a testament to the power of community action and collaborative legal advocacy.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Clarissa Ayala, Communications Director, Lone Star Legal Aid, cayala@lonestarlegal.org
Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm focused on advocacy for low-income and underserved populations by providing free legal education, advice, and representation. LSLA serves millions of people at 125% of federal poverty guidelines, who live in 72 counties in the eastern and Gulf Coast regions of Texas, and 4 counties in Southwest Arkansas. LSLA focuses its resources on maintaining, enhancing, and protecting income and economic stability; preserving housing; improving outcomes for children; establishing and sustaining family safety, stability, health, and wellbeing; and assisting populations with special vulnerabilities, like those with disabilities, the aging, survivors of crime and disasters, the unemployed and underemployed, the unhoused, those with limited English language skills, and the LGBTQIA+ community. To learn more about Lone Star Legal Aid, visit our website at www.LoneStarLegal.org.
