Neighbors in a Cypress-area community say the smell of diesel and the sound of engines running for hours have made it difficult to even step outside their homes.
Residents believe the source may be a heavy-duty diesel repair operation running out of a storage facility near their neighborhood. Now, the Harris County Constable Precinct 1 Environmental Crimes Unit is looking into whether anything illegal is happening.
From the outside, the property near Huffmeister Road and Skinner Road appears to be a storage facility. But people living along Pinebrook Trail say the sounds and smells coming from behind a fence tell a different story.
“It’s very loud, it gives me a headache,” one neighbor said. “I cannot go outside. I have to wear a mask just to go to the garage.”
Residents say the noise and fumes have made them feel like prisoners in their own homes because of what’s happening just on the other side of their backyard fences.
“The most frustrating thing about it is I work hard every single day and I enjoy going in my backyard,” said homeowner Jeffery Byers. “What’s frustrating is I can’t even go into my backyard.”
Neighbors say throughout the day — and sometimes into the evening — they hear what sounds like diesel engines running and see trucks being worked on behind the property’s fence.
“The diesel is running six hours a day,” Byers said. “The smell is terrible. Not to mention the view — when I walk in my house the first thing I see is two dump trucks back there.”
Some residents say they have tried to speak with the people working at the facility but were unable to get answers.
“They won’t talk to us. We’ve tried and tried and tried,” Byers said.
KPRC 2 was able to enter the facility and speak with a man who appeared to be a mechanic. After being shown video recorded by neighbors, he acknowledged that workers do repair diesel trucks there. However, he denied that work continues late into the evening.
“Por la noche nunca estamos aquí. Nosotros a las 6:30 más o menos nos vamos de aquí todos los días,” he said, explaining they leave around 6:30 p.m. each day.
He also disputed claims that engines are left running for long periods.
Neighbors say the problem has been ongoing for months.
Constable Alan Rosen said the Precinct 1 Environmental Crimes Unit is investigating to determine whether any laws or regulations are being violated.
“We’ll see if there’s any referrals either to the district attorney’s office, to the county attorney’s office, to pollution control or to TCEQ,” Rosen said.
Rosen added that even if investigators find violations, the goal is often to work with both the community and whoever is operating the business to find a solution.
Neighbors say they’re hoping that happens soon.
“We want to enjoy our weekends. We want to barbecue,” Byers said. “My granddaughter comes out — I have a one-year-old granddaughter. I’m not going to take her to the backyard.”
The mechanic told KPRC 2 that repairs to one of the trucks currently at the property should be finished by Wednesday.
The constable’s office says people concerned about possible environmental violations can report them through the Harris County Environmental Crimes Hotline. The number is 832-927-1567.
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