Illegal Dumping: City of Houston under investigation for discrimination against blacks and Latinos for community services

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The department announced Friday that it will investigate whether Black and Hispanic Houston residents face discrimination in response to requests for garbage services. This would violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act 1964. Title VI prohibits recipients of federal grants from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

“Illegal landfills not only attract rodents, mosquitoes and other vermin that pose health risks, but they can also contaminate surface water and interfere with proper drainage, making areas more susceptible to flooding,” said Deputy Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division Ministry of Justice . “Nobody in the United States should be at risk of disease and other serious harm because of ineffective waste management or inadequate enforcement programs. We will conduct a fair and thorough investigation into these environmental justice concerns and their impact on Black and Hispanic communities in the city of Houston.”

Mayor Sylvester Turner’s office and the Legal Department have been notified of the opening of the investigation.

SEE RELATED STORY: The Houston Chronicle examines where illegal dumping is most prevalent

SEE ALSO: Third Ward residents clean up their neighborhood’s illegal landfill

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