February 18, 2019

What about the children?Environmental Justice & the

North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP)

Air Alliance Houston

Air Alliance Houston believes everyone has a right to breathe clean air and where you live,

work, learn, and play should not determine your health.

NHHIP & Environmental Justice

● Houston’s air quality

● Environmental injustices and NHHIP

● Bruce Elementary School

Houston Air Quality Context

74% of Houston families are concerned about air quality in Houston

5-6 million lbs. of “illegal” air pollution released each year (on average)

Harris County has the highest vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in Texas

Houston has never met national standards for ozone and ranked

11th (out of 227 cities) for ozone pollution in 2017

80,000 Houston-area children attend schools in traffic-related air

pollution (TRAP) zones

Overview of North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP)

Environmental Justice is the fair

treatment and meaningful involvement of

all people regardless of race, color,

national origin, or income, with respect to

the development, implementation, and

enforcement of environmental laws,

regulations, and policies.

NHHIP Project Extent

● Segment 1: Beltway 8 to I-610

● Segment 2: I-610 to I-10

● Segment 3: Downtown loop to I-69 and 288

Source: TX Department of Transportation, http://ih45northandmore.com/

NHHIP Segment 1

● Highway width nearly doubles in some sections and no proposed amenities such as greenspace

● Significant flood damage along Halls Bayou during Harvey

● Higher poverty rate, lower income, higher Hispanic population than Houston as a whole

NHHIP Segment 2

● Features a deck with a sunken tunnel that connects to the Heights and Near Northside

● Not as much damage from flooding during Harvey as Segment 1

● Lower income and higher Hispanic population than Houston as a whole, but similar poverty rate

NHHIP Segment 3

● Most perceived amenities proposed - greenspace, removal of Pierce Elevated

● Proposed right of way would impact several public housing units (removal/relocation)

● Near parity of racial/ethnic identity - White, African-American, Hispanic

● Income inequality – highest median income and highest poverty rate

500 Cities Data Challenge

NHHIP Health Impact Assessment

NHHIP Freeway Expansion

Health Outcomes +/-

Demographics Behavior Land Use & Design

Social & Environmental Impacts

Mediating Factors

Bruce Elementary School

Environmental Justice & Health Impacts

Ambulance-Treated Asthma Attack

Rates 2004-2013 for Elementary School

Zones and Nurse Employment Status

(Raun, et al. 2017)

TXDOT should be required to include solutions to protect the health of children.

Questions?