WALLER COUNTY – KPRC2 Investigates has learned the Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing a whistleblower complaint about emissions defeat devices on at least four Waller County EMS ambulances.
The ambulances are owned by Waller-Harris Emergency Services District 200, a taxing authority, that collected about $12 million in 2022 from both property and sales taxes within its 608 sq. mile territory.
Unconventionally, the person who alerted the US EPA about the issue is the same person who is ultimately responsible for the ambulances, Tim Gibson, Director of ESD 200. Gibson did not authorize the changes, which were made before his tenure as Director.
The four diesel ambulances were equipped with so-called “delete kits” that are designed to bypass federally mandated emissions standards.
Waller County Constable, Bo Hashaw, said by phone that he authorized the deletion of emissions equipment on the ambulances, (he recollects three ambulances), in his other job capacity as Director of Waller County EMS.
Hashaw said that the ambulances in question were performing unreliably with the factory emissions equipment in place.
“That was the recommendation in order to be able to provide the services that we had to provide and get people to the hospital that we had, and that was really the only choice I had,” Hashaw said.
According to records obtained by KPRC2 Investigates, the work was performed by Barry Fleet Services in Hempstead.
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