A Texas college is suing the city of Dallas, claiming pollution from its temporary storm debris site next to the campus damaged its building and forced the cancellation of classes, according to NBC 5 News.
In the lawsuit filed July 3 in the 191st Judicial District Court of Dallas County, Medisend College of Biomedical Engineering Technology alleged that the city's operations are causing dirt and dust to blow onto the school's property and clog air conditioning units.
Much of the debris originated from a May storm, which has been hauled to the site near I-635 and Greenville Avenue to be ground and mulched before reaching the city's landfill, according to the report.
The suit also claims that the dust has contaminated expensive medical equipment.
On Wednesday, a district judge granted a temporary restraining order after hearing arguments from both parties. The city will still be allowed to transport debris and mulch in and out of the site, the report stated, but must follow state environmental regulations and employ "better dust control" measures before resuming mulching.
Hallack told NBC 5 News that the disruption could affect the current group of students enrolled in the college, which offers a seven-month training program for military veterans seeking careers in hospital and biomedical equipment repair.
"This is a kind of a breach of trust for them," he said. "They've stopped their lives and their families for seven months, who come to us with the understanding that we will give them the best education in the country and get them jobs. That's now in jeopardy. It's in danger."
Both parties are scheduled to be in court proceedings on July 22.
