HOUSTON — An investigation by the U.S. Justice Department into how the City of Houston responds to illegal dumping complaints has been settled.
The city's voluntary agreement with the DOJ comes nearly one year after the environmental justice investigation was announced by their Civil Rights Division.
Neither the DOJ nor the United States Attorney's Office would say if discrimination was found in Black and Latino neighborhoods. They said they investigated for about a year and then suspended the investigation when the settlement was reached.
On Tuesday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said progress was made with the City's One Clean Houston initiative, which was launched in March.
Turner said since the initiative's launch, the city's response time to illegal dumping calls has been reduced by 75% from 49 days in 2022 to 11 days in 2023.
Over the last three months, Turner said 20,000 tons of debris have been collected across 2,900 dump sites. Since January, 110 criminal charges have been filed against violators. The city also plans to double law enforcement officers assigned to illegal dumping with the help of Precinct 1 and Houston police.
Turner's comments Tuesday morning were a contrast from last July when he called the DOJ's investigation a "slap in the face."
"Collectively, I believe we have made signification step in improving the quality of life for everyone who lives in our city," Turner said. "Things don't have to be contentious. Sometimes by working together, we can end up with a better product."
Over the course of 10 months, the DOJ said many of the aspects of "One Clean Houston" were in direct response to the government's concerns.
In March, officials allocated millions for things like solid waste bonuses, more rapid cleanup, greater access to legal dumping options, and added additional surveillance cameras in problem areas like the Fifth Ward and other communities of color.
Residents in Black and Latino neighborhoods said they felt discriminated against.
"Absolutely, I do believe it because I don’t see the same thing in other neighborhoods," Kathy Gunter, a resident in the Houston Gardens neighborhood, said.
Others felt the same.
"We put our pants the same way. If they are really investing in our children, you need to provide our space as beautiful as healthy so we can thrive and be the best we can," Veronica Cabrera-Moreno, a resident and artist in the Eastex/Jensen area, said.
Residents said they will continue to report the violators and hope to see changes in their neighborhoods.
"I will test the system," Gunter said.