HOUSTON, Texas — Federal oversight of illegal dumping in several predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods has ended after the U.S. Justice Department withdrew from a monitoring agreement with the city of Houston. According to reporting by the Associated Press, the move reflects a broader rollback of environmental justice efforts under the Trump administration, which has also dissolved similar oversight programs in Alabama.
Former federal officials told AP the Houston agreement was ended quietly, leaving residents in Trinity/Houston Gardens concerned that city response times have slowed again after briefly improving during the first year of federal monitoring. Community advocates say the absence of oversight has led to renewed buildup of trash, construction debris, discarded furniture, and even dead animals in residential areas long affected by chronic dumping.
The original DOJ investigation found the neighborhood had been inundated with trash, medical waste, and “rotting carcasses,” prompting a settlement that required three years of reporting, enforcement improvements, and public transparency. That agreement was set to last until 2026. The decision to end monitoring coincides with federal directives to eliminate environmental justice programs and reevaluate regulations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Local residents say the change leaves them without leverage to push for cleanup efforts, while advocates argue the rollback harms communities that have faced decades of neglect. The DOJ declined to comment, and Houston officials did not respond to inquiries.
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