Representative Lizzie Fletcher (D) is seeking a public meeting and answers from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin regarding the halt in new sample processing at the agency's Houston regional laboratory.
Rep. Fletcher is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to explain how it will maintain environmental testing and emergency response capabilities across Houston and the Gulf Coast after the agency stopped processing new samples at its Region 6 laboratory.
Fletcher said EPA ordered the Houston laboratory to stop processing new samples on August 28th, while EPA personnel told her office during a September 9 meeting that the agency's laboratory in Ada, Oklahoma, would not assume the Houston facility's functions for several months.
She is requesting that EPA hold a public meeting in Houston by the end of 2026 to explain how laboratory functions will continue during the transition.
The Region 6 laboratory serves Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. EPA describes the Houston facility as a regional laboratory supporting environmental testing and emergency response, and the agency also operates two mobile laboratories for field response events from Houston.
"Houston is home to a large number of chemical plants and refineries, and this lab and its highly trained staff are essential to EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment," wrote Fletcher.
Fletcher is also seeking information on how samples from the Gulf Coast will be transported and processed after the consolidation, which would reduce its leased space and save approximately $2.2 million in annual rent.
Fletcher has opposed the relocation since 2019, when EPA began the consolidation process. She has also raised concerns about maintaining rapid air and water quality testing in Houston, particularly during hurricane season.
She is requesting that EPA respond to her questions by October 30.
