Houston Concrete Plants: County Seeks Shutdown Order for One Site
Harris County Commissioners Court will vote on legal steps to close Budget Ready Mix on November 12, while a second plant faces a permit challenge.
By Alessia Romano ·
Residents in east Harris County may see a local concrete facility close its doors if county commissioners approve new legal actions on November 12. The Harris County Commissioners Court is scheduled to vote on authorizing the County Attorney’s Office to seek a court order that would shut down Budget Ready Mix. The plant is located at 14915 Market Street.
The county has already filed a lawsuit against Budget Ready Mix. Officials state the company violated air and water permit requirements. According to the county, the facility's air permit has lapsed, meaning it is currently operating without an active air quality permit. The existing case is set for trial on November 16. Commissioners are seeking the additional power to force a shutdown or other court-ordered relief while that trial proceeds.
This legal push coincides with a separate dispute in northeast Houston. Residents near Five Star Ready Mix at 8001 Ley Road are challenging a new permit application. The company has asked the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ, for authorization to operate two permanent concrete batch plants at that location. Attorney Amy Dinn is assisting the community members who have submitted comments and requested a contested case hearing.
Dinn notes that these facilities often end up in residential areas. "Sometimes they end up getting sited in neighborhoods and communities are rightfully concerned about these facilities," Dinn said. Concrete batch plants produce material for construction, but their operations can release dust and particulate matter into the surrounding air.
A key distinction for residents is that Harris County does not issue these air quality permits. That authority belongs to the state agency, TCEQ. Companies apply directly to TCEQ, which provides public notice to affected residents. Harris County receives notice of these applications and enforces environmental requirements, but it does not grant the permits. Dinn advised residents to monitor TCEQ notices directly rather than waiting for the county to intervene.
The county has previously reported more than 130 concrete batch plants operating across unincorporated Harris County and the City of Houston. From January 2020 to June 2023, the Pollution Control Division conducted 313 investigations into these plants. During that period, the division issued 172 violation notices.
Residents have several tools to monitor these operations. They can use the TCEQ online facility map to identify permitted and proposed projects. They can also sign up for mailing lists to receive updates on specific permit applications. For operating facilities, residents can file complaints through Harris County Pollution Control Services. The county lists 713-920-2831 as the contact number for environmental emergencies.
