The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold an open house meeting at the Fifth Ward Multi-Service Center on Thursday to update residents on the agency’s testing related to cancer-causing chemicals in the area.

This web article explores the impact of the federal government's decision to shut down the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Justice Screen and Mapping tool (EJScreen) following an executive order signed by President Trump. The story follows Ava Elizarraz, a Houston mother, who relied on the EJScreen to make informed decisions about her family's health and safety, such as finding neighborhoods with cleaner air and fewer environmental hazards. With the tool's discontinuation, Elizarraz faces challenges in accessing reliable environmental data. The article also highlights the efforts of the Public Environmental Data Partners, a coalition dedicated to preserving public access to federal environmental data, as they work to fill the gap left by the EJScreen's removal.

For years, residents in Porter have complained about brown water flowing from their taps, raising concerns about safety and quality. The water meets EPA safety standards, meaning it’s technically safe to drink.

Harris County officials, including Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Congressman Sylvester Turner, will address the public about the EPA's findings of dioxin contamination at the Julia C. Hester House in Fifth Ward.

The Houston Health Department is launching a $20 million EPA-funded initiative for climate resilience, beginning with the Trees and Trash 2025 event in the Fifth Ward.

Every year, the Edmunds Top Rated Awards are bestowed on the best vehicles of the year.

Electric vehicles make people nervous.

The area was designated as a cancer cluster in 2019 when it was found that significantly higher than normal diagnoses of the deadly disease were found among residents of the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods.

Shoppers looking to buy a luxury SUV can choose among many models from various brands.

Crews from Union Pacific have started another round of testing in Houston’s Fifth Ward to determine whether or not the area contains dangerous chemicals for its residents.

KPRC 2 has been covering the cancer clusters in the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens area extensively over the past few years. We will also have the opportunity Thursday to watch crews sample the soil at Boyce Dorian Park and speak with a project manager to learn how the process works.

The Environmental Protection Agency provided an update Tuesday night to people living in Houston’s Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens on the investigation into a cancer cluster.

The San Jacinto River flows through Channelview, and its currents bring in fish, ships, and, unfortunately, even toxins.

Twenty-three Republican attorneys general are attacking the Biden administration's stated goal of pursuing environmental justice.

On Monday, crude oil and saltwater leaked out of an ExxonMobil tank that had lost power, seeping into the Horsepen Bayou in Clear Lake.

The first test results back show elevated levels of toxic chemicals in the water and the soil

The conversations surrounding the Fifth Ward ‘Cancer Cluster’ continue for dozens of residents in that Houston neighborhood.

The food that never finds its way to our bellies is terrible for our wallets and damaging to the environment.

The EPA is mandating stricter standards on a major air pollutant, PM2.5.

People who live in neighborhoods known as the Fifth Ward cancer cluster voted in 21 members of the community who will be liaisons between people who live in the affected areas and the environmental protection agency.

The EPA awarded four Houston neighborhoods with much-needed grant money this week.

Are high gas prices burning a hole in your wallet.

The federal agency has settled a lawsuit the Sierra Club brought over pollution from a coal-burning power plant. The agreement requires the EPA to weigh in on the state’s plan to improve air quality in Rusk and Panola counties.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it is holding two virtual opportunities for the public to share input on a grant program being developed to support clean water in underserved Gulf of Mexico communities.

President Joe Biden plans to sign an executive order that would create the White House Office of Environmental Justice.

The Biden Administration and the EPA are attempting to shift the green revolution into a much higher gear and dramatically ramp up sales of electric vehicles.

KPRC 2 continues to monitor the situation surrounding the transportation of toxic waste from the train derailment in Ohio and has learned there will be additional oversight on the shipment of the water.

A Deer Park company reportedly agreed to receive millions of gallons of toxic wastewater that was used to fight fires during the Ohio train derailment.

The Deer Park company that reportedly agreed to receive millions of gallons of toxic wastewater used to fight fires during the Ohio train derailment has made a statement in regard to the pause placed by federal officials on their operation.

Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and other local leaders will address the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s recent announcement that it will investigate the Texas Commission on Environment Quality (TCEQ)’s concrete batch permitting criteria and processes under federal civil rights laws.

The Supreme Court decision June 30 restricting the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency may mean continued pollution from power plants in states that are not switching to cleaner energy.

On Friday, in lockstep with Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality signaled that it firmly and unabashedly sides with the Supreme Court’s decision to limit the EPA’s enforcement power.

In a 2020 report by the EPA, the agency said “co-locating” the Houston facility to an existing EPA branch in Oklahoma would save $1.8 million annually in lease and facility expenses.

Newsom administration officials say they are in no rush to make changes to one of California's key climate change programs despite concerns it won't be able to meet its emissions reduction goals.

For years, KPRC 2 Investigates has relentlessly reported on the safety of local drinking water and a toxic, cancer-causing chemical in our water supply.

The return of the summer heat means our state bird is swarming! We’re talking about mosquitos. Before you buy bug spray or any type of repellent, you should know if they actually work.

This undated photo by Edmunds shows five electric vehicles at a test track in the Mojave Desert, in California, undergoing testing for maximum range. A CHALLENGE FROM TESLAThe lackluster results prompted the automaker to reach out to the Edmunds test team. Once each vehicle’s range estimate indicated zero miles, we measured how far it could go before coming to a complete stop. AdEDMUNDS SAYS: Edmunds’ EV range test isn’t meant to be the definitive word on a vehicle’s range but rather a real-world complement to the laboratory-based EPA testing. We’ll continue to test to an indicated zero because we’d never advise customers to rely on the unpredictable buffer range.

FILE - In this Sept. 18, 2019 file photo Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao speaks at EPA headquarters in Washington. Chao is resigning effective Monday, becoming the highest ranking member of President Donald Trumps administration to resign in protest after the pro-Trump insurrection at Capitol. In a statement Thursday, Chao, who is married to Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, said the violent attack on the Capitol has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside. Scott Applewhite)(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Dodging the weather in preparation for their TAPPS 4A Playoff Game against Holy Cross of San Antonio, the Legacy Prep Lions (LPCA) were using EPA – a local baseball facility to install some of their game play. The Lions are 4-2 and in the Regionals for the fourth time in five years. Led by junior QB Tyler Prazak, the Lions are explosive on offense with a unique spread offense under the tutelage of OC Ragan McDaniel. Prazak has thrown for over 1,700 yards and 13 scores in just six games. VYPE caught up with the Lions as they get ready for this weekend's game.

NBC News, the Texas Observer, and insideclimatenews.org have partnered for an extensive investigation into the role climate change is playing with Superfund sites across the U.S. He is convinced the EPA needs to revisit Superfund sites in areas prone to flooding, hurricanes and sea-level rise because these symptoms of climate change were never figured into Superfund site remediation plans. MAP: Superfund sites in Houston area (courtesy: NBC News)“All of that overflows and it comes all over the properties,” said John Barrett. AdPlan for major flooding eventsThe site has had a history of flooding; however, the site plans and selected remedy take those challenges into account. I’m not familiar with this particular superfund site, but I have requested a briefing on it by the EPA.”

HOUSTON – Neighbors and city of Houston officials claim Soto Ready Mix is the source of serious environmental and health issues in Acres Homes. Residents said they are being backed by major political players as they work to stop the planned expansion of the concrete company. Soto Ready Mix sits on the corner of T.C. “The disrespect and the arrogance of facilities of this kind being situated in the neighborhood are unacceptable in the city of Houston,” Turner said. The owner of Soto Ready Mix did not respond to KPRC’s request for comment.