Houston insulation company, manager face felony illegal dumping charges

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - Therm-All Insulation Inc. and one of its managers have been charged after allegedly dumping hundreds of pounds of waste in north Harris County.

The manager, 26-year-old Cierra Marie Cano, and the company are both facing felony illegal dumping charges for leaving commercial trash on the side of the road. Therm-All Insulation has a facility on Yale Street. Cano is accused of directing the employees to dump the debris and has not yet been arrested.

Illegal dumping charges filed

According to court records, excess insulation material and packaging were returned to the company's facility after deliveries. Employees were then allegedly told to dump the waste on East 36th Street, an area surrounded by industrial buildings and railroad tracks.

Authorities claim one of the dumping instances was caught on camera in March. Employees could be seen using a forklift to unload debris from a rental truck. A man riding a scooter allegedly served as a lookout during the operation, according to court records.

The investigation by the Environmental Crimes Division is still active, authorities noted that additional charges could be filed. Following a visit from detectives, Therm-All Insulation Inc. voluntarily cleaned up the dumped debris and bought extra dumpsters to handle its future waste.

The charge is a state-jail felony, which carries a penalty of up to two years of confinement and a fine.

What you can do:

Anyone who sees illegal dumping or has information on open cases is asked to contact authorities by calling the Precinct One Illegal Dumping Hotline at 832-927-1567.