Double Jeopardy in Houston

The report identifies a 'double jeopardy' for residents of east Houston's Harrisburg/Manchester and Galena Park communities, who face both daily chronic exposure to toxic air pollutants and a high risk of acute catastrophic chemical accidents. Using EPA data, the study finds that these marginalized communities have significantly higher toxic concentrations, cancer risks, and respiratory hazards than the more affluent West Oaks/Eldridge and Bellaire neighborhoods. The authors attribute these disparities to a lack of citywide zoning in Houston and the concentration of high-risk industrial facilities in low-income areas, recommending stricter regulations on safer chemicals, improved fenceline monitoring, and the implementation of formal health-impact assessments.

• Residents of east Houston's Harrisburg/Manchester and Galena Park face significantly higher total toxic concentration values from chemical exposures than those in west Houston's West Oaks/Eldridge and Bellaire.
• The cancer risk for residents in Harrisburg/Manchester is 22% higher than the overall Houston urban area, while Galena Park's cancer risk is 28% greater than the urban area average.
• Respiratory hazard indices are higher in east Houston, indicating a greater potential for lung diseases like asthma and chronic bronchitis compared to west Houston and the broader urban area.
• Specific toxic chemicals, such as 1,3-butadiene and benzene, show extreme concentration disparities between the studied communities.
• A disproportionate percentage of the population in east Houston lives within one mile of high-risk industrial facilities listed in the EPA's Risk Management Plan (RMP).
• The report identifies a lack of citywide zoning in Houston as a factor contributing to the proximity of residential areas to chemical facilities.
• Infrastructure in Harrisburg/Manchester creates significant evacuation risks in the event of a chemical disaster, with only one primary escape route for over 3,000 people.
• Recent data suggests that air quality management in Houston has not maintained previous improvements, with some east Houston monitoring stations showing increased hazardous pollutants.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2016). Double Jeopardy in Houston. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/10/ucs-double-jeopardy-in-houston-full-report-2016.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Double Jeopardy in Houston. 2016. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/10/ucs-double-jeopardy-in-houston-full-report-2016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Double Jeopardy in Houston |date=October 2016 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/10/ucs-double-jeopardy-in-houston-full-report-2016.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2016double, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Double Jeopardy in Houston}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2016}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/10/ucs-double-jeopardy-in-houston-full-report-2016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }