Union Pacific Begins Soil Testing in Fifth Ward (June 6, 2024) – Houston Public Media

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On Thursday’s show: Union Pacific began soil testing near the company’s contaminated rail yard in Houston’s Fifth Ward this week, under the supervision of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. News 88.7’s Lucio Vasquez explains what this could mean for residents, who accuse the company of contaminating the area with cancer-causing chemicals.

Also this time: On the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasions of Europe during World War II, Houstonian Jim Trippon shares the story of his father, John, who helped capture Nazi headquarters in France.

Then we learn how a religious awakening led Rice University ecologist Timothy Morton to reexamine how he (and the rest of us) talk about both faith and science. This is the subject of his new book, Hell: in search of a Christian ecology.

And a new documentary series from HBO called Ren Faire takes a closer look at the culture and behind-the-scenes of the Texas Renaissance Festival north of Houston.

Audio from today’s show will be available after 11:00 a.m. CT. We also have a free podcast here, on iTunes, Stitcher and other apps.