City Rep. upset about proposed medical waste facility, says local leaders not notified

A member of the El Paso City Council is outraged a medical waste facility is being considered in her district without her knowledge.

City of El Paso District 6 Representative Claudia Ordaz-Perez told ABC-7 a constituent from her district showed her a letter sent to a predominantly Spanish-speaking community letting them know about the proposed medical waste sight in a Lower Valley neighborhood.

The letters were in English.

Ordaz-Perez, who lives in the district, tells ABC-7 she did not receive that letter and neither did other local and state leaders who represent the district.

“It probably would’ve just been approved under the radar,” Ordaz-Perez told ABC-7 after learning of the facility.

She made some calls and learned an Amarillo businessman wants to open El Paso’s first and only hazardous medical waste treatment facility at 9119 Billy the Kid street.

According to the letter, the facility would process 5 to 10 tons of medical waste consisting of body parts, body fluids and other wasted generated by health care related facilities.

Ordaz-Perez said the proposed sight is near a heavily-populated area. Seven schools, three churches, two parks and the Ysleta Mission are all located within a one mile radius from the proposed sight, Ordaz-Perez said.

Ordaz told ABC-7 she has reached out to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to try to get clarification on the proposed sight. She is also asking the commission to reach out to the community for input on the proposed medical waste facility.