Houston approves $5M to relocate residents living near polluted Union Pacific rail yard

By JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston officials have approved $5 million for a fund to help relocate residents from neighborhoods located near a rail yard polluted by a cancer-linked wood preservative that has been blamed for an increase in cancer cases. Residents and local leaders have long blamed the high number of cancer cases on contamination from a rail yard originally owned by Southern Pacific and later bought by Union Pacific near two historically Black neighborhoods. The funding was approved during a Houston City Council meeting on Wednesday. Union Pacific says more testing is still needed to make “informed decisions” about further action. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Houston “has a moral obligation” to help relocate residents.