Harris County has filed a lawsuit to bring the Hawthorn Park Landfill into compliance and potentially close the site, County Attorney Abbie Kamin announced during a press conference Oct. 13.
The overview
The landfill, which sits in the historically Black Carverdale neighborhood, has faced opposition from residents for decades. The Harris County Attorney’s office filed the lawsuit against USA Waste of Texas Landfills, a subsidiary of Waste Management, which owns and operates the Hawthorn Park Landfill, according to a press release. The goal, Kamin said, is to bring the property into “post-closure care,” which would require Waste Management to provide additional environmental safety measures.
Kamin said her office is alleging that the defendants have processed “just enough debris” since 2016 to keep the landfill open, exposing residents to potential health risks. The landfill was first permitted in 1977, she said, though it was used as a dumping ground before then.
“That’s 49 years or more of heavy disruption, 49 years or more of heavy trucks tearing up roads, dropping off debris—and who knows what else—and leaving residents with more questions than answers when it comes to the impacts to their health and the environment,” Kamin said.
Harris County has never been allowed onto the property to test for pollutants, Kamin said.
Instead, testing has been conducted at the property line, and Kamin said there have been documented cases of elevated methane levels over the past 20 years. She added that her office believes pollutants have seeped into the groundwater.
“If we succeed, there would be groundwater sampling, capping and covering the landfill, and monitoring for any current or future impacts to this very special and proud community,” Kamin said. “It would also make it much harder for the company to reopen or expand a permit on this site in the future.”
Zooming in
Lifelong Carverdale resident and Pastor Calvin Smith, who spoke during the press conference, said the community has fought against the landfill for years, often feeling like they “didn’t have a voice.”
“We should have a right to live free the way we want to, without them throwing their junk, their trash into our neighborhood,” Smith said.
Although causation has not been proved, Smith said an estimated 70% of the families in the neighborhood have someone dealing with cancer.
Community members previously had success in protesting a proposed landfill expansion. In 2024, Waste Management withdrew its application to expand the area boundary by 32% and increase the maximum elevation by 63%, per previous Community Impact reporting. As it stands today, the landfill spans more than 150 acres and covers three blocks in the neighborhood, Kamin said.
The landfill accepts construction and demolition debris, yard waste, lumber, brick and concrete, according to the Waste Management website.
Houston City Council member Amy Peck, who has been involved in seeking regulations on the landfill during her time in office, renewed her commitment to the neighborhood’s fight for health and safety during the press conference.
Peck said residents “deserve to know that their concerns are being taken seriously and that they are a priority.”
“The Carverdale community is a treasured part of our city, and our residents deserve to live in a neighborhood with clean air, safe surroundings, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that the health and quality of life are protected here,” Peck said.
