Community demands transparency as Texas DSHS skips air pollution meeting
By David Taylor
Community leaders, health experts, and residents gathered at the San Jacinto Community Center in Highlands last Thursday to confront the findings of a recent Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) cancer study, which revealed significantly elevated rates of leukemia, lung and bronchus cancer, lymphoma, and cervical cancer across a massive area of East Harris County. The panel, organized as a follow-up to Public Health Watch’s October 2025 investigation, brought together advocates and experts to demand greater transparency and immediate action. There was only one problem—the invited guests, Texas Department of State Health Services, was a no-show.