WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Friday announced it has opened an environmental justice investigation into the city of Houston over allegations that its response to illegal dumping in primarily Black and Hispanic neighborhoods violated the Civil Rights Act.
The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas will investigate whether the nation’s fourth-largest city violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits recipients of federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin.
The investigation will focus on the city’s response to reports of illegal dumping and was launched after a complaint filed by Lone Star Legal Aid. The complaint alleges that the city denied services and failed to enforce municipal codes and permitting restrictions when responding to illegal dump sites in its northeast portion.
