BRLF Controversy Continues (See this FBN Article)-
Stavinoha Says County Won't Oppose Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion Plans
by Bob Dunn, Nov 28, 2006, 12 48 pm
Precinct 1 Commission Tom Stavinoha won’t be at a Dec. 7 public hearing on plans to more than double the size of Blue Ridge Landfill, but he said Tuesday he’ll deliver the message that Fort Bend County won’t oppose the expansion.
County officials reached a settlement agreement in 1992 with the owners of the original landfill, saying they would not seek party status in opposing the original permit, Stavinoha said in a letter to be presented at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality public hearing. “Fort Bend County, this year in 2006, will not seek party status in the expansion of the site,” the letter states.
At issue is an application by Blue Ridge Landfill owner BFI to expand the facility from its current 530-acre, 58-foot-high capacity to 784 acres, with refuse piled up to 170 feet high. The landfill sits on a total of 1,345 acres at 2200 F.M. 521 . . .
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Comment: See this related piece on the real hazzard from the process used at most TX landfills to groundwater contamination and remember Sienna and several area neighborhoods share waterways that run on or near the BRLF landfill:
http://www.gfredlee.com/landfill.htm
Make the 12/7/06 TCEQ Contested Hearing at Blue Ridge Elem off McHard Rd. at 7p.
posted by responsible_dvlpmnt at Wednesday, November 29, 2006
12 Comments:
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See earlier thread on this:
1 newpoint estates resident - Nov 22, 06:42 am
BFi wants community support on this but they stopped service in our neighborhood because we were not profitable and on short notice as well. They do not seem like a good neighbor to me!
2 ARM - Nov 22, 08:31 am
Land fills are something people do not want to think about. People place trash in their bins, a truck picks it up and boom it is gone from their thoughts. Unfortunatly we can no longer put our head in a hole in the ground and pretend that trash just disappears. The Blue Ridge Landfill expansion is a scary prosal for not only our community but more importantly our enviroment and our planet. We must stop the expansion and in order to be successful in this fight we must wake our city council and our county commissioners office to what our wants, needs and desires are. We are the voters. We voted for city concil and county comissioner. They there for should be looking out for our interest and our communities interest rather than big business and their pocket books. Ft Bend is one of the fastest growing counties in the US. People move here for the wonderful community and offerings we have. A Mega Landfill will de tract from the wonderful community that we have created in Ft Bend County. I hope that many of you will be at the meeting to speak your opinions. Think about your children and your children’s children, let’s leave them with a beautiful community rather than one of waste and garbage.
3 anonymous - Nov 22, 08:47 am
This word just in from Nick Lampson’s office. The congressman-elect for CD-22 will be attending the controversial TCEQ hearing on the expansion of the Blue Ridge landfill near the Missouri City/Fresno area. This raises the bar on this already hotly debated local issue lead by district 17 state representative Dora Olivo. An unconfirmed rumor also has a district state senator scheduled to attend along with several environmental & public health lawyers. Apparently a petition drive has been circulating in several of the impacted neighborhoods, including one here in the Sienna Plantation area for this public meeting (we share two waterways directly with the landfill property). Reportedly the BFI company is seeking a permit that would allow the doubling in size and tripling in height of the current landfill deeming it a “mega-landfill”.
Our county commissioner Tom Stavinoha and several on the Missouri City council have come out in support of the expansion that may adversely impact this area thus complicating the concerns of many residents.
See this for more: http://www.fortbendweb.com/webapp/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=viewnews&id=693#topcomment
4 Tara Jurica - Nov 22, 04:46 pm
A dump is a dump is a dump…...no matter what you call it, it is still one big giant pile of trash, and guess what, it STINKS! If you get downwind from that mountain of waste during warm weather, you are in for a real olfactory treat. I know that a landfill is not something that anyone wants in their area, and I feel that those of us who have lived here, and had this big mound of waste spring up like a restless volcano over the past few years are not happy with it, and we should make our displeasure over this future ski mountain(if we ever had snow) known to our elected officials. Although, lately it seems like many of our elected officials listen to what their comunity has to say about as well as my ten year old daughter….......and that, folks, is pretty much like the old saying “in one ear and out the other”.....
5 Chris Calvin, Ph.D. - Nov 23, 12:12 am
Just wanted to include a link to the TCEQ complaint site for those “smelly” days. We had one that nearly had us pull off the road just this past summer near Mo-City. Maybe the mayor, instead of throwing taxpayer money at a new PR image for the city should have opposed the placement and expansion of this landfill. Try this link below (it is an online form):
https://www2.tceq.state.tx.us/complaints/index.cfm
As for the elected officials, Tara, all you have to do is follow the money on that. It decides court cases, legislation, ordinances, etc. . . in a perfect world we could expect more, but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to work for it. I for one am glad we do have some of the elected officials supporting the efforts to curb/stop this proposal. A mound of trash nearly the size of the Astrodome isn’t my idea of sound or safe waste management and certainly won’t serve as the next great attractor to Fort Bend county, contrary to the EDC . . .
6 parent too - Nov 23, 07:15 am
No one wants a landfill site near where they live, but we all throw out trash every week and it has to go somewhere. Perhaps we should be thinking of ways to reduce the number of bags of trash we put out each week. How many of you bag your lawn clippings and set them out for the garbage man? How about mulching the clippings and leaving them on the lawn. Plastic water bottles, soap bottles, cans and newspapers can be recycled. I know that some subdivisions have a pickup service for recycled items, but unfortunately, my Missouri City subdivision does not as it is apparently not cost effective I recycle as much as I can, but it would be so much easier to do if we had a pick up service. If we ALL created less waste we wouldn’t need to expand the landfill.
7 anon - Nov 23, 11:32 pm
Good point parent too. Everyone should make a effort to work on this at the micro-level. On the other hand I doubt the BRLF is only for east FBC garbage. I’ve talked to several who see the trucks come from all over and out-of-county too. I believe in the article above it states that FBC is one of the states top receivers of this type of waste.
I do agree that HOAs, businesses and cities who contract for their services could do more. I’ve even heard it suggested that incentives are offered in other states to encourage better personal waste mgmt (like lower bills for fewer cans and more recyled refuse).
I don’t think mega-landfills the size of skyscrapers is the answer though and will certainly harm the environment, property values as well as economic development in that region (have you ever smelled it?).
8 hot - Nov 25, 07:33 am
Here is the official site of the committee working to stop this landfill expansion:
http://cabrle.spaces.live.com/
9 Matthew Feinberg - Nov 25, 04:09 pm
Here is the problem. When this trash dump opened it was on the furthest out edge of Houston. Guess what? Houston and the surrounding areas grew.
With all the land available here why not open a new modern dump further outside the area. Why expand a dump that is now in the middle of our neighborhoods? Simply does not make any sense.
A modern facility should recycle as much waste as possible, it should reclaim the methane gas developed and use it to generate electricity or power the gas trucks. They also channel rain water to a filtering station to make sure waste chemicals do not make it in our water supply.
The same thing happened in NJ/NY years ago. The landfills in Staten Island and New Jersey became the center of town. Expansion would have been impossible because of the development around them.
This is an issue that the public can easily win. The local politicos should not support this absurd proposal to expand the landfill.
10 anon - Nov 26, 06:46 am
Hi All,
I just found this EPA complaint link. If you’ve had issues currently or in the past with the BRLF odor, water quality anything impacting environmental issues then follow this link and submit it (just point and click it). Hit my pseudo above to get directly to it (or cut/paste the address below into your browser window):
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/complaints/index.html
Matthew— I talked to one official a few days ago and he said they are expanding the landfill because it is cheaper to do so. I can’t imagine that much decaying concentrated waste in one location being healthier for our region of FBC than smaller more diverse locations. Economically it has to hurt us. I noticed all summer along hwy521 that Shadow Creek Ranch was raising the berme and planting many, many trees along with a high fence in what looks like an attempt to hide the landfill.
Are all these large Houston development companies part of the EDC that endorses this landfill expansion here in For Bend and the tri-county area?
11 Matthew Feinberg - Nov 27, 03:07 pm
Cheaper? Cheaper for whom?
This is a long term financial disaster waiting to happen. The local politicos need to get their heads out of their collective asses and stop this insanity.
There is enough land south and west of here to build a new landfill that provides a buffer from populated areas.
12 anon - Nov 28, 04:55 am
I’m sure, for the county, it is all about the tipping fees that have become such a popular way to co-opt our local elected officials. I would be willing to guess that if someone checks the state ethics site (or brazosriver.com) you will find company reps. contributing to some of the local officials too.
It looks like, with the exception of the dist. 17 state rep and possibly the new CD-22 congressman, that the local boys are following the EDC lead. The problem I’m having with all this is why would the EDC support such a negative growth attractor like this? How can such a huge expansion of waste possibly be good for economic development with all the older and new developments in this area? I can’t find any studies/research to support such a claim (other than the economic benefit to the company). Is BFI part of their organization or are they just that big a corp and wield that much influence?
Questions, questions. . .
more:
1 anon - Nov 28, 01:41 pm
“most if not all of those funds have been spent in the Fresno area where the landfill is located.”
I sure hope the residents of this community appreciate the tipping fee and will get it to help defray potential future health costs. Stavinoha is not representing those that voted for him or their interest. If he were he would have opposed this one in much the same manner he did one out near his home.
I believe abc13 at 6p. is covering this tonight too. Call your commissioners and let them know you do not appreciate what they are not doing (representing you the voter/consumer/taxpayer).
2 jls - Nov 28, 02:11 pm
“next to the landfill is Shadow Creek Ranch. They are presently developing 3,500 acres between F.M. 521 and State Highway 288 as a residential community. Homes are selling in the $250,000 price range.”
Yes I wondered why Shadow Creek Ranch spent most of the summer building up the birm, adding large numbers of trees and a tall fence on the hwy 521 route across the street from the landfill. A good move but it won’t hide the potential smell or shared waterways concerns.
Don’t our commissioners and some Missouri City elected officials sound more like company executives than our representatives. Thank God for Dora, Nick and Ellis! We need our local boys to listen to us too!
3 Wonder some times - Nov 28, 03:40 pm
Shadow Creek Ranch knew the landfill was there BEFORE they started building and so did the “new” residents. Now they want to complain? Not a smart move to develop it in the first place . . . the smell is always there and no amount of odor-absorbing chemicals are going to make it go away. It is just like complaining about airplane noise when you built or bought your house next to the airport? What are people thinking?
4 anon - Nov 28, 04:01 pm
Sounds like “Wonder” needs to recheck some facts. Dozens of the communities were in that area before the landfill and sales people/developers don’t always report something as unattractive as that. Notice SCR started building near hwy 288 and then towards hwy 521 as they added screening areas to try and hide it. Of course you are also ignoring the waterways that are shared in the area by many communities and the potential size of this already huge landfill once it is complete. Of course “Wonder” your welcome to come to the 12/7 meeting and express your support for this FBEDC endorsed expansion (what are you thinking?). 17 stories of landfill isn’t too bad, right, even if it will be the highest structure in the county and keeps paying the tipping fee to the county…right? Or are you thinking?
more:
5 Elena - Nov 28, 04:32 pm
“a 25-foot landscaped buffer zone would surround the landfill”
Wow.
17 stories of trash surrounded by a lush
25 feet of landscaping! That’s almost as long as my master bedroom.
This proposal is ludicrous.
The 15 year old “deal” to allow expansion, regardless of the citizens wishes—an agreement made when longhorn still roamed Fort Bend County— is not relevent to today’s realities.
FBC residents, let’s get on board & support our neighbors on the 7th.
Elena
6 Chris Calvin, Ph.D. - Nov 28, 05:29 pm
Elena,
Thanks so much. That is exactly the type of support that is needed, our neighbors/homeowners/voters/taxpayers and friends.
We need everyones help with some of our elected officials turning their backs! I wonder if we could build 4-5 Reliant arenas around it to hide it or a really large birm? . . . ;-)
Recycle if you can!
7 rcocheu - Nov 28, 06:48 pm
Let me start out with the statement. This is not an endorsement of expansion or a condemnation of expansion. I just want to review some facts, ask some very simple questions from both sides of the issue, and point out some interesting political observations regarding all of this. FIrst lets look at the entire timeline of this application.
It was filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on 01/25/2006. A notice of public meeting was mailed 06/07/2006 and the meeting was held on 07/06/2006. Preliminary approval was published on 11/09/2006. My first question is this:
Where was all this outcry back in July when the first public meeting was held? Where was our owe so concerned state rep from Dist. 17? Also, did Congressmen elect Lampson suddenly see the light on this issue then? This would have made a great campaign stop for him.
Point number two. “I Wonder” has a point, I’m sorry Shadow Creek Residents are buying houses across a highway from a landfill. It’s called due dilligence, do it before you buy.
Point three. I measured the distance to Teal Run (the second closest neighborhood to the landfill after Shadow Creek). It is approximately 3 to 4 miles depending on the route you take. For arguments sake, we’ll say three. Sienna is much further. Lastly, I have now lived in Teal Run for 13 years and I count on one hand the number of times I have been able to smell the landfill from my nieghborhood, none of them recent.
Now for political musings. My opinion is that this is typical Representative Olivo opportunity politicing. WHERE has she been on addressing the school funding issue? That issue affects all of us much more than this ever will. Why do I have to sit in traffic on FM 521 (a state road) for more than 30 minutes every morning? The road is in her district and has needed a major upgrade for several years, yet it is not even planned for yet. Congressman elect Lampson needs an issue to establish himself in the district (politics rule 1 – all politics is local). Remember he moved here from Beaumont to unseat Tom Delay. Looks like he found an issue.
As I said in the beginning, this is a look at the facts only. This is like school zoning, emotions sometimes override logic. Think about it.
8 John Cobarruvias - Nov 28, 09:25 pm
Not only are you folks stupid in Fort Bend, you are now going to smell!
But seriously, sorry to hear about this. That is just garbage!
and:
9 anon - Nov 29, 04:10 am
“Point number two. “I Wonder” has a point, I’m sorry Shadow Creek Residents are buying houses across a highway from a landfill. It’s called due dilligence, do it before you buy.”
Mr. Rcocheu,
These really are double-bind questions meant to bait a response. The fact is many more older communities in that tri-county area have been complaining if you ck with the TCEQ about this fill (see the original piece in the Chronicle about this). Also ground water contamination is the big issue, not the smell. Sewage (or leachate—garabage juice run-off) is the real problem and according to experts is the real threat (see http://www.gfredlee.com/landfill.htm).
Finally, Mr. Lampson was invited by us to attend the TCEQ mtg and possibly speak up. He didn’t contact us. We contacted him along with numerous other elected officials, some now speaking up for the landfill company, not their constituents….the real shame!
(as for dist rep. 17, thank God Dora woke us up on this one, as you already know rarely are NIMBYs timed perfectly and I believe members of the community invited her involvement, not the other way around)
PS—People in this community did fight the original placement of this landfill back in ’93 (do some background on it).
CABRLE, along with other community groups, will be conducting a site protest at BRLF off hwy 521 near Fresno on Nov. 30th 4p. to dusk. Come if you can!
more:
10 Matthew Feinberg - Nov 29, 08:27 am
Something smells here and it is not the landfill. Anyone check to see if BFI employees/execs have made political contributions in the area?
11 newpoint estates resident - Nov 29, 11:00 am
Why wouldn’t Stavinoah be at that December 7th meeting?.If he was concerned, he might attend. Remember that when it comes to vote. I know I will.
12 anonymous - Nov 29, 02:02 pm
Newpoint,
I wouldn’t expect to see any of the local elected officials from Missouri City or the county, other than our state rep, senator and possibly our new congressman. The people that accept contributions from the special interest and are told what to do by the EDC boys have no concern now that major elections have ended.
Besides Stavinoha admits he is supporting this absurd expansion. I believe many of the protesting homeowners will be out at the land fill Thursday evening from 4pm until sunset if you wanna come and make your voice heard! I would hope that if the company really wants to be a good neighbor, as they claim, that they would offer some sort of compromise on the expansion. Instead of 17 stories, how about just half? Of course that will still make it the highest structure in FBC. Maybe they could sell tickets as one of those area side-shows. . . ;-)
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More:
9 anon - Nov 29, 04:10 am
“Point number two. “I Wonder” has a point, I’m sorry Shadow Creek Residents are buying houses across a highway from a landfill. It’s called due dilligence, do it before you buy.”
Mr. Rcocheu,
These really are double-bind questions meant to bait a response. The fact is many more older communities in that tri-county area have been complaining if you ck with the TCEQ about this fill (see the original piece in the Chronicle about this). Also ground water contamination is the big issue, not the smell. Sewage (or leachate—garabage juice run-off) is the real problem and according to experts is the real threat (see http://www.gfredlee.com/landfill.htm).
Finally, Mr. Lampson was invited by us to attend the TCEQ mtg and possibly speak up. He didn’t contact us. We contacted him along with numerous other elected officials, some now speaking up for the landfill company, not their constituents….the real shame!
(as for dist rep. 17, thank God Dora woke us up on this one, as you already know rarely are NIMBYs timed perfectly and I believe members of the community invited her involvement, not the other way around)
PS—People in this community did fight the original placement of this landfill back in ’93 (do some background on it).
10 Matthew Feinberg - Nov 29, 08:27 am
Something smells here and it is not the landfill. Anyone check to see if BFI employees/execs have made political contributions in the area?
11 newpoint estates resident - Nov 29, 11:00 am
Why wouldn’t Stavinoah be at that December 7th meeting?.If he was concerned, he might attend. Remember that when it comes to vote. I know I will.
12 anonymous - Nov 29, 02:03 pm
Newpoint,
I wouldn’t expect to see any of the local elected officials from Missouri City or the county, other than our state rep, senator and possibly our new congressman. The people that accept contributions from the special interest and are told what to do by the EDC boys have no concern now that major elections have ended.
Besides Stavinoha admits he is supporting this absurd expansion. I believe many of the protesting homeowners will be out at the land fill Thursday evening from 4pm until sunset if you wanna come and make your voice heard! I would hope that if the company really wants to be a good neighbor, as they claim, that they would offer some sort of compromise on the expansion. Instead of 17 stories, how about just half? Of course that will still make it the highest structure in FBC. Maybe they could sell tickets as one of those area side-shows. . . ;-)
13 Tim Gash - Nov 29, 11:50 pm
I am a SCR resident who did not research enough before purchasing, and who is also involved in trying to stop this expansion. As others have stated, the smell and un-sightliness of the proposed expansion is small potatoes compared to the possible ground water contamination. At www.ejnet.org/rachel/rhwn037.htm Enviromental Research Foundation web site states that the EPA has argued in the Federal Register as early as Feb 5 1981, again on May 26 1981, and again July 26 1981, that all landfills will eventually leak. Not due to faulty installation or poor maintenance, but due to the nature of construction and exptancy of leachate systems in the long term. Above all else, it is the depth of the land fill that worries me. I urge anyone with questions or concerns to check out this web site. I believe that Stavinoha should come out on Dec 7 and tell us why he thinks BFI is such a good neighbor. Please re-cycle.
14 anon - Nov 30, 07:57 pm
Tim,
IMHO you better keep an eye on what your developer run HOA is trying to do. Check in with the coalition (CABRLF) and limit posting your full name. Black lists seem to be back in fashion and with the new enforcement CCRs and the hands-off nature of the local public officials (who get many, many EDC related contributions). . . well just watch out. These aren’t the people who just keep the yards mowed anymore.
These developers are members of the EDC and apparently BFI was trying to meet with your HOA board (controlled by the SCR developer, an EDC member no doubt).
Keep an eye out. They don’t play fair! You can count on that!
Only more reason to get involved and fight this EDC endorsed, BRLF expansion. . .
What does this remind you of (from the chron):
The Landfill Dilemna In Hutto
Published Saturday, December 02, 2006
Eye on Williamson
Keeping An Eye On Williamson County, Texas
Closed meetings, county officials conspiring to keep meetings closed, dueling trash companies, citizens and a former mayor being paid as consultants by one company, and just a, flat out, bad deal for Williamson County. Landfill deal stinks, say citizens groups, others.
Both the county’s contract with Waste Management and the expansion were approved by the Williamson County Commissioners Court in one meeting in 2003, and rarely has the issue been discussed in a public meeting since.
County discussion of the landfill occurs in two places: in private committee meetings to renegotiate the contract and in closed executive sessions after each Commissioners Court meeting. Duty says that is done because the permit hearings are taking place in a state administrative law court and Waste Management threatened to sue if the county broke its contract. Executive sessions can be held to discuss pending litigation.
Both are acceptable reasons to hold executive sessions, said Joel White, an Austin-area First Amendment lawyer.
However, White said the private committee meetings to discuss the contract could be illegal under a provision of the Texas Open Meetings Act that prohibits government officials from intentionally meeting without a quorum of officials to avoid opening the meetings to the public.
The committee includes incoming County Judge Dan Gattis Sr., who is not yet subject to open meetings laws, and County Commissioners Lisa Birkman and Frankie Limmer. Duty said the county purposefully includes fewer elected officials than necessary for a public meeting.
Ahh, the beauty of one-party unaccountable government. Frankie Limmer being involved in this is not a good sign. Lisa Birkman is up for reelection in ‘08, by the way.
more FBN comments:
14 anon - Nov 30, 07:57 pm
Tim,
IMHO you better keep an eye on what your developer run HOA is trying to do. Check in with the coalition (CABRLF) and limit posting your full name. Black lists seem to be back in fashion and with the new enforcement CCRs and the hands-off nature of the local public officials (who get many, many EDC related contributions). . . well just watch out. These aren’t the people who just keep the yards mowed anymore.
These developers are members of the EDC and apparently BFI was trying to meet with your HOA board (controlled by the SCR developer, an EDC member no doubt).
Keep an eye out. They don’t play fair! You can count on that!
Only more reason to get involved and fight this EDC endorsed, BRLF expansion. . .
15 521 - Dec 2, 01:51 pm
I don’t know about you all but I can’t imagine a pile of garbage that high or all the leakage (garbage juice) that will create. I agree with you Tim, the real threat is to ground water contaminants. It does make you wonder why commissioners in the early 90s let the site open knowing the growth was coming and all the current residents now living in that area (many who predate the waste site).
I won’t be drinking the water anymore!
16 rodrigo carreon - Dec 3, 09:24 am
(Fresno in Pct #1) is known as one of the top polluted areas in Fort Bend for smell, contaminated water and air. High enviornmental security in Fresno, but improvements has been delayed. Health on the line? Only, With high increases and changes on appraisal valuation has been taking place on Homestead Exempts properties. Values up to & over the State 10% annual value increase limit.
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