Texas legislators propose bill for concrete plants

Texas legislators have introduced a bill designed to protect residents from alleged pollutants of nearby concrete recycling plants, a report by the Texas Observer says. 

According to the report, Texas law already states that concrete crushing facilities are prohibited from operating within 440 yards of schools, homes and places of worship. Senate Bill 793 aims to expand the restriction to include outdoor recreational areas, including parks and playgrounds.

Because children are more prone to issues deriving from pollutants due to their body size, community members are becoming concerned with emissions from concrete recycling plants in the area.

Andrea Morrow, a spokesperson for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, told the Texas Observer that 17 new tock and concrete crushers have received permits to operate in the state since 2016. Six of those permits were issued in the Houston area, and six more are pending review.

Concrete plants have recently come under fire by community members, the report says. Harris County houses 188 concrete plants, the most of any county in the state. Because of Houston’s lack of zoning rules, the plants can be located near residential areas.

Rich Szecsy, president of the Texas Aggregate and Concrete Association, says the bill is unnecessary and that the proposed location prohibitions are an attempt to “use the Clean Air Act as a substitute for zoning where there is none,” the report says.