If you have spent any time in Freeport, Texas, you know that water is more than just something we live beside. It is part of who we are. Before factories and refineries shaped the skyline, the water shaped our way of life. As industry grew, so did the pressure on our waterways. Storm runoff, chemical waste, and industrial discharges began to flow into the same creeks and rivers that had once been safe to fish and swim in. Now it is our turn to fight for cleaner creeks, healthier bays, and a future where no one has to choose between making a living and living well. Protecting it means protecting who we are and who we are still becoming.

Freeport’s story begins not with factories or ships, but with people.

The same industries that provided steady jobs also filled the air and water with pollution, putting those who lived closest at the greatest risk. For many families, the path to providing for their loved ones came with unseen costs.

Now, the same community that once powered industry is fighting to protect its health, its children, and its future.

This incident underscores the urgent need for a real-time, community-centered toxic alert system in Brazoria County. Communities deserve timely and accurate information about  the health risks they face when chemical disasters occur.