Case Studies
Creosote Under Their Homes — and a Cancer Cluster Next Door
Texas found lung, esophagus and larynx cancers above expected rates; the state did not determine creosote caused them.
The state did not determine that creosote caused the cancers.
Location
Houston Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens, near a former Union Pacific wood-treating yard.
When
In 2019, Texas DSHS found a cancer cluster: lung, esophagus and larynx cancers above expected rates.
Contaminant
Creosote from the former wood-treating yard in groundwater beneath homes.
Who was affected
Residents of Houston Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens, where creosote was present in groundwater under homes.
Key detail
The state found lung, esophagus and larynx cancers above expected rates. The state did not determine that creosote caused the cancers.
Sources: EPA, ATSDR, AP, US Army Corps