Houston News category interest

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner recently issued a statement regarding the newly-released State Department of Health and Human Services' Cancer Cluster Investigations  that included findings related to the former railroad creosote treatment facility in Kashmere Gardens. 

“The finding of another cancer cluster in the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens area highlights the significant adverse health impacts that have plagued areas of our city for decades. Even more distressing, this cluster involves children sickened with leukemia at nearly five times the expected rate.

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“Late last year, the city’s first-ever cancer cluster was identified in the same area with greater-than-expected incidences of adult cancers of the lung, esophagus, and throat. Both cancer clusters are near legacy creosote contamination at a facility now owned by Union Pacific.

“Without the grassroots efforts of the community and the relentless support of the Houston Health Department, this cancer analysis may have never been conducted, and the community may have continued to suffer in silence.

“It is our responsibility to protect the interests of the families and children living in the immediate area. All Houstonians have the right to a safe and healthy environment no matter where they live.
The City of Houston will aggressively explore all possible avenues to bring meaningful relief to this suffering community.

"I am requesting that Union Pacific help to relocate affected residents and create a buffer between contaminated areas and homes in the neighborhood. The EPA and TCEQ must declare the area a Super Fund site. Someone needs to be held accountable for the healthcare costs of these families and specifically these children. ”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists define a cancer cluster as a greater than expected number of cancer cases that occurs within a group of people in a geographic area over a defined period of time. Most cancer cluster investigations include an analysis of the occurrence of new cancer cases in a particular area over time and only answer the question, “Are there more cancer cases occurring in the area or population of concern than would be expected, based on the size and demographic characteristics of that population?”  It is important to note that the data and statistical analysis conducted at this step cannot determine if cancers observed in the community are associated with environmental, lifestyle, or other risk factors.