The Brief
- On Jan. 29, Houston Police and several agencies, including the TCEQ and HFD HAZMAT, raided a Weee! Distribution warehouse at 3350 Rogerdale Road following a tip about illegal sewage dumping.
- Investigators tell FOX 26 they used a red tracer dye to determine that sanitary waste was being discharged from the facility into a storm drain, which led directly into Brays Bayou and the surrounding Westchase District trail system.
- No charges have been filed yet. Weee! Distribution has been contacted for a comment.
HOUSTON – Authorities are investigating a major online grocery distributor after a tip led investigators to discover sanitary waste allegedly being dumped into a Houston storm drain and flowing into a nearby bayou.
Houston warehouse investigation
Big picture view:
Houston police served a search warrant Thursday at a warehouse operated by Weee! Distribution in the city’s Westchase District on Rogerdale Road near Westpark Drive. The company describes itself as the world’s largest online Asian supermarket, handling brands like Kikkoman, Kewpie and Buldak.
Police tell FOX 26 that investigators used a red tracer dye to track the discharge from the warehouse . The test confirmed that sanitary waste was entering the storm drain system and emptying into Brays Bayou, a waterway that runs through several Houston neighborhoods.
The multi-agency response included Houston Public Works, the Houston Fire Department’s HAZMAT team, and the Houston Health Department. Representatives from Harris County and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality were also on-site to assess the environmental impact.…