A Community's Fight for Justice: The Creosote Contamination Collection
Date
2025
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Volume Title
Publisher
Rice University
Abstract
This presentation highlights documents and oral histories related to the creosote contamination of Houston's Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens. From 1899 to 1984, Southern Pacific Transportation Company used creosote as a wood preservative, leading to groundwater and soil contamination. The area was determined to be a cancer cluster in 2019, and community members have worked with the EPA, Houston Health Department, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and other organizations to address the harm caused by the contamination. This presentation aims to preserve information and, importantly, highlight personal narratives from community members. Members of the Fondren Fellows gathered and described these materials.
Description
This item is a presentation detailing work conducted in Fondren Library's Fondren Fellows Program.
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Type
Presentation
Keywords
creosote contamination, environmental protection, cancer
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This work is protected by copyright and is made available here for research and educational purposes. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.