City of Houston announces help to relocate Fifth Ward residents affected by cancer cluster

HOUSTON - Fifth Ward residents, who are living and dying in what the state says is a cancer cluster, apparently are finally getting a bit of assistance. The City of Houston is working to help those who want to move to relocate.        

"How many more people must be diagnosed with cancer?" asks Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. He's also asking how many more Fifth Ward residents have to die of cancer? 

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 26 HOUSTON APP BY CLICKING HERE

"Specifically, how many more children must die? How many more families must be trapped in a known danger zone while we watch, test, and litigate?" Turner asked.  

City of Houston leaders say contamination was detected near the Fifth Ward rail yard way back in the 1970’s. Several years ago, the state identified four different types of cancer clusters in the area including larynx, lung, liver & childhood leukemia.

"In the case of childhood leukemia alone, the number of cancer cases was 350% higher," the mayor says.      

13-year-old Corinthian Giles died of leukemia two years ago. He lived two blocks from the site, which has been owned by Union Pacific since 1997.  

"Put yourself in our position, in our community, understand how we’re impacted. My husband right now, and I haven’t talked about it very much, has been dealing with cancer for the last nine months," says Fifth Ward resident Kathy Blueford-Daniels. 

"A year ago today, my mom passed from cancer. I’m a survivor (of cancer)," cries Fifth Ward resident Pamela Matthews.  

"I had a whole new form of cancer that they never saw before," adds Fifth Ward resident Joetta Stevenson. 

With the elevated number of people getting and dying from specific types of cancer in the area, Mayor Tuner has formed what he calls a Strikeforce Team to help residents relocate and move if they choose to.

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 26 HOUSTON APP BY CLICKING HERE

Union Pacific Railroad tells FOX 26, "We don’t know the extent or source of contamination," explains Union Pacific company spokesperson Toni Harrison, who says more testing is required to figure out if Union Pacific is the cause of the contamination. 

"Union Pacific will take care of whatever they are responsible for. Without a thorough, comprehensive, health risk assessment, we do not know which next steps are necessary," Harrison says.    

"More testing is likely to reveal what we already know. Dioxin is present in the soil. We know a creosote plume is under 110 homes," says Judy Harris with the Houston Health Department.

"We know enough, and quite frankly Union Pacific knows enough to know that some people near the site are living in harms way," adds Mayor Turner.

Turner added details about the Strikeforce Team and the program to help residents move away from the dangerous cancer cluster are still being worked out.