HOUSTON – If you’ve lived in Texas long enough, you’ve probably heard the phrase “Don’t Mess With Texas.”
But lately, that iconic anti-littering slogan is feeling more like wishful thinking in parts of Houston and surrounding areas.
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Illegal dumping isn’t just an eyesore—it’s a health hazard that hits certain neighborhoods harder than others, especially Black and Latino communities.
Over the years, KPRC 2 Investigates has tracked down site after site, where trash piles up and accountability goes missing.
These reported cases are just a few of the many sites where trash has taken over. And in most cases, the people doing the dumping aren’t strangers—they’re often dumping within 3 miles of where they live or work.
Here’s a rundown of just some of the major illegal dumping hotspots we’ve reported on in the past few years:
City of Houston
Where: DeWalch Technologies
Year: 2023
A search warrant revealed that Houston Police Department’s environmental unit launched an investigation into DeWalch Technologies for allegedly dumping hazardous waste into the environment.
According to documents, waste was released into the City of Houston’s sanitary sewer system and stormwater drainage system.
DeWalch Technologies, founded in 1982, specializes in “specialty meter locking hardware.”
The investigation began after a tip from a former employee who alleged the company dumped cutting oil out of a bay door or near a drain behind the building. When the employee raised concerns with human resources, the representative reportedly said she was already aware of the potential violations.
South Park neighborhood
Where: Former Family Dollar at Airport Boulevard and MLK Boulevard
Year: 2023
A former Family Dollar at Airport Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard became a notorious dumping ground filled with furniture, construction waste, and household trash.
READ: Houston residents in South Park frustrated by illegal dumping, turn to KPRC 2
Residents got fed up and reached out to KPRC 2 for help.
Highway trash pile in Fort Bend County
Where: FM 1464 near Highway 90 & Grand Parkway
Year: 2022–2023
In unincorporated Fort Bend County near Highway 90 and the Grand Parkway, residents were fed up with a massive, highly visible pile of trash along FM 1464.
READ: ‘More and more trash’: Residents tired of Illegal dumping site in Fort Bend County
Among the items scattered about: garbage bags, tires, mattresses, sofas, lightbulbs, and TVs.
Northeast Harris County
Where: 17400 East Freeway (I-10) Service Road
Year: 2023-2025
An owner of a construction company in Channelview was arrested and charged in April after at least 14 tons of broken concrete and wood were illegally dumped along the service road of Interstate 10 in 2023, according to the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office.
Vance Holt Jr. is accused of violating the spirit of the “Don’t Mess With Texas” campaign by ordering his employees to carry out the multi-ton dumping at 17400 East Freeway (I-10) Service Road in 2023.
Cypress neighborhood
Where: FM 529, Cypress
Year: 2020–2023
Along FM 529 in Cypress we came across another pile filled with mattresses, sofas, clothes, used tires and a bunch of trash.
READ: 11-year-old in Cypress and her neighbors want officials help cleaning up illegal dumping site
Residents told us they dealt with the surrounding the eyesore for years.
One 11-year-old girl took a stand, joining her neighbors in calling for cleanup and attention from officials.