Riding Through Injustice: What We Saw on the Environmental Justice Bus Tour
By Debra Ponce
Last month, community members, environmental leaders, and public officials boarded a bus for an unforgettable journey through San Antonio’s Southside—a place where pollution, policy failure, and resilience intersect. The Environmental Justice Bus Tour was more than a ride; it was a call to building partnerships for real solutions because it is way past time.
For decades, communities near the former Kelly Air Force Base have endured the long-term effects of environmental contamination. From toxic groundwater plumes to noise and air pollution from nearby industry, residents in the 78211 zip code face serious health risks and environmental hazards—often with little accountability or support.
This tour was designed to connect decision-makers directly to these frontline stories—so they could hear, see, and feel what residents experience daily. It was never about assigning blame—it was about truth-telling, witnessing, and honoring those who spent a lifetime trying to make that change.
What We Saw
- Under the Overpass: Our first stop brought us into the noise and chaos of truck traffic, cement dust, and the voices of neighbors like Victor San Miguel, who spoke of day-to-day life amid industrial pollution. KSAT was there to cover the story.
- Toxic Vapors in Homes: We examined homes built over a contaminated aquifer, where chemicals like TCE and PCE rise into living spaces—especially during Texas’s brutal heatwaves.
- Air Quality Gaps: We reviewed maps that revealed the disturbing truth that air monitors are not located where pollution is situated.
- The Impact of Industry: From metal shredders to silica sand dust, trains and fire-prone recycling centers, industrial facilities are pressing up against homes and playgrounds, often with tiny buffers or protection and little to no regulation to control the situation.
The Community Speaks
Along the way, residents and advocates told their stories inside a rented bus.
- Diana Lopez, Debra Ponce, Sondra Garcia, and Victor San Miguel shared the history of grassroots organizing since the 1990s.
- Cheyenne Rendon, Dee Dee Belmares, Sharron Brown, Judith Temple, and Larry Garcia gave voice to today’s fight against unregulated shredders, against more peaker plants, against the placement of diesel generators beside neighborhood homes, and for accountability.
- We also heard from scientists, nonprofit leaders, and neighborhood association leaders who joined in the conversation, many of whom have worked unpaid for years to protect their communities.
Deceleration was also there to provide this coverage.
What We’re Asking For
- A pause on new toxic or heavy industrial permits in this small, already impacted area. These neighborhoods have carried the burden of toxic industry for too long.
- More vigorous enforcement of existing codes, fire safety, and emissions monitoring.
- Long-term health protections and transparent cleanup plans for residents living near contaminated sites.
- Inclusion of community voices in city and county planning processes that affect their future.
Hope in Action
The Environmental Justice Bus Tour highlighted not only the problems but also the powerful coalition rising to meet them. From UTSA’s air monitoring projects to City-led tree planting and grassroots-led code reform, the seeds of justice are already in the ground. Now we need to nurture them.
This Was Just the Beginning
Environmental justice isn’t a moment—it’s a movement. And after this tour, more people are paying attention. Our community is organized, and they are speaking for themselves. They are asking for a seat at the decision-making table that affects them, because the science is clear and the need is urgent.
Now we’re asking our leaders to take this information back with them—and use it to make better-informed decisions rooted in policy, investment, and courage. Our collective work will move forward because our community is counting on us to do so.
Ponce is an organizer for Public Citizen. She lives and works in San Antonio.