Dallas city leaders say they’re going to start the process of closing an industrial site in Joppa that residents say has been polluting the neighborhood for decades.
District 7 City Council member Adam Bazaldua told attendees at a budget town hall Tuesday evening at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center that the city is taking the first steps toward shuttering the TAMKO shingle batch plant.
“I can say confidently that I am prepared to start the five-signature memo process so that we can at least start with an appraisal of TAMKO in Joppa,” Bazaldua said, “which is the very first step for us to be able to revisit the non-conforming use of that property.”
He made the announcement alongside City Manager Kimberly Tolbert and Chief Financial Officer Jack Ireland.
The news was met with relief from audience members, many of whom were there to raise questions about the heavy industrial site.
"There was a hand clap right there, right?" Tolbert asked the audience as residents began to join in applause. "So, there you go."
The non-conforming use fund is a mechanism within the city's zoning regulations to address uses of land that were lawful when established but no longer comply with current zoning laws.
According to the city’s development code, decisions about non-conforming use are based on factors such as “environmental impact” and the “ extent to which continued operation of the use may threaten public health or safety.”
KERA News reached out to TAMKO for comment following the announcement and will update this story with any response. The company says on its website it “has a great history with many decades of safe and sustainable practices.”
Climate advocates have been pressing the city of Dallas for answers on why the TAMKO plant and a GAF asphalt shingle factory in West Dallas – which the advocates dub the “Toxic Twins” – haven’t yet been shut down, even after another site run by Austin Asphalt ceased operations and closed two years ago.
“Joppa residents have been waiting for this for a long time, so it's a very positive step,” said Caleb Roberts, executive director for Downwinders at Risk, a local advocacy group. “They said they have the money available and they probably have a good idea of how much it will cost to get rid of TAMKO.”
The city didn’t say how long the process of closing the plant would take, or how much it would cost.
Julio Chaparro is a Joppa resident who said his family and neighbors have suffered from health issues over several years.
“More than anything, it has affected our respiratory system, our lungs, given us headaches, given us stomach aches because all day long it's a smell of smoke burning,” Chaparro told KERA in Spanish.
Chaparro said he’s been diagnosed with cancer that was accelerated by the fumes coming from the shingle factory. He added that he hopes the city comes through on their promise to close the plant.
Chaparro said he dreams that someday the city will invest more in Joppa, bringing shops and recreation to the neighborhood.
“They have the opportunity to help the community of Joppa,” Chaparro said.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org.
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