Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget, released this statement supporting the withdrawal of Soto Ready Mix’s air quality standard permit application and the decision by the state to accept their withdrawal — ending their quest to expand their concrete batch plant in the Acres Home community:

“I have long been opposed to the TCEQ’s grant of an air permit application for a batch plant at 3411 DeSoto Street, in Houston. In June, I wrote to the Air Permits Division of the TCEQ concerning a letter it sent to residents of Acres Home, a community located in my congressional district. In that letter, I wrote to adamantly oppose the construction of a proposed concrete batch plant at this location. I also attended a hearing in Austin, where I specifically asked the TCEQ to grant the request of Acres Homes residents to hold a formal hearing to hear directly from residents regarding the Soto Ready Mix Application in Houston. That request was granted. Now the hearing is cancelled because of Soto Ready Mix’s decision to withdraw their application.

“I was pleased to work alongside my colleagues State Representative Jarvis Johnson, and State Senator John Whitmire, who were present with me in Austin and Mayor Sylvester Turner who worked with the city on this issue. It was our collective work that made a difference.

“Cement manufacturing plants, like the one proposed for DeSoto Street, produce fine particulates that can be aspirated into the upper respiratory system. Particles that can invade the lower respiratory system, triggering asthma and obstructive pulmonary disease, and respiratory distress. Moreover, a study published in the European Respiratory Journal in 2011 identified a link between dust generated during cement manufacturing and inflammation of existing lung disorders, and a contributing factor in the development of lung disorders. Soto Ready Mix’s decision to withdraw their application is a win for the residents of the 18th Congressional District. My constituents voiced their concerns; we fought to bring attention to the harmful potential this plant posed to the Acres Home community and now we have success.

“However, I will continue to work to ensure that this entire business is relocated from this residential area; that includes a neighborhood park.”