Nallali Hidalgo works as an education liaison. Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS)This video explains the history of the area.
“It was a beautiful open field with native plants and trees. You could only hear the wildlife and birds outside. You can now hear the trains and the noises coming from these facilities. She said that there is so much noise pollution.
Juan Parris, his wife Ana, and TEJAS were the founders of TEJAS back in 1995 in order to advocate for environmental equity within marginalized communities. They are close to the Manchester residents, who are mainly Hispanic and live within walking distance to these chemical plants. Parris, who has been an activist for decades, says that not enough is being done to protect residents in the event of a deadly explosion.
“Low-income communities, communities with color, are always being pushed aside whenever they want a refinery, chemical facility, or anything that pollutes a neighborhood. He said that they tend to go to the “areas of least resistance”. “There are schools near us that we are very concerned about. Personally, my wife has been affected. She has breathing problems and must occasionally use an oxygen tank.
Parris is also concerned about the health risks these chemical plants could pose to the residents in Manchester. According to a University of TexasChildren who live within a two-mile radius from the Houston Ship Channel have a 56 per cent higher chance of developing Leukemia than children who live beyond a 10-mile radius.
Hidalgo claims that many people don’t want to leave the region because they don’t have the money or don’t understand the severity and risks.
“So often, it’s not seen as a dangerous place. She explained that people don’t grow up thinking their home or their environment is dangerous. “No one should be outside in a playground and occupying a hazardous zone. It’s important that we advocate for reforms and policies like the RMP Rule, where facilities would be forced into looking into new technologies or processes that don’t use dangerous chemicals.
TEJAS’ achievements include the implementation of translation services from TCEQ and their partnership to Furr High School, making it the first school of environmental justice in the country. Hidalgo states that TEJAS focuses its efforts on public education and partners with research institutions to provide data driven information to the community, empowering them to speak out.
“We advise community members not to let this become normalized.” Hidalgo stated that you can become used to the odors and the incidents when you live in a heavy industrial area. These communities are often prevented from fully engaging because of the many barriers they face. One is language, the other is status. Do you feel comfortable voicing your concerns about the environment if you are an immigrant living in this country? If you are connected to the industry, will you be subject to repercussions if your family speaks up?
She also stated that they spend a lot time pushing elected officials for reform and advocating to the environmental agencies regarding policy and reform.
“Most of the time leaders and groups react to a situation, particularly with chemical or natural disasters, instead of being proactive and meaningful about it. She said that she wanted to prevent these incidents from ever happening.
Parris said that this is something he can’t do with his wife forever. They are building the next generation environmental activists like Hidalgo.
“I don’t want to be called a leader. But once the leaders of the institutions fighting for justice are gone, everything is over. The environment will never end. We need to ensure that someone else will take the torch and fight for environmental justice,” said he. “What gives us hope, is that we can see other communities throughout the nation that are successful at addressing their environmental concerns, getting industry to buckle up and saying they will change their operating procedures.”
Parris states that they are not looking to close down all these refineries. They are calling for safer chemicals to be used. They want environmental agencies to create a plan for people who live along the fenceline of these plants. Hidalgo states that they would like to see the workers at refineries be equitably trained, and then transition into safer and cleaner jobs.
For more information about Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services click here Visit their website.
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