Congressman-elect To Attend Blue Ridge Landfill/TCEQ Hearing!
MCC Exclusive: 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.
For more background on the issue please click the title link above from the FB Star...
Stay informed and keep in touch!
posted by responsible_dvlpmnt at Wednesday, November 22, 2006
12 Comments:
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FB Star article (partial):
Residents oppose Blue Ridge landfill
expansion — public officials support it
By Cheryl Skinner
Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner Tom Stavinoha says a planned expansion of the Blue Ridge Landfill is not detrimental to the county. Other public officials agree, however a growing number of residents, led by State Rep. Dora Oliva, think otherwise.
The Blue Ridge Landfill, which is operated by BFI at 2200 FM 521 south of McHard Road, about one mile north of Fresno is seeking permits from the state for an expansion. Stavinoha, as well as Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council CEO Herb Appel and Missouri City officials have said they support the project to expand the facility. Stavinoha said that he learned a valuable lesson from fighting the Longpoint Landfill — don’t. “As long as they are good neighbors and do what the permit says they have to do, we will be better off working with them instead of spending millions to fight them. I know with Longpoint we spent over $1.5 million for attorneys and they (the landfill) still won,” Stavinoha explained.
BFI is seeking permits from Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to expand the 599-acre facility to include 1,345 more acres to the north and west. The company also wants to increase the landfill’s height from 58 feet to 170 feet to enlarge its capacity to accommodate waste for 40 years. In previous sessions of commissioner’s court, the topic has surfaced. Should the permits be granted the landfill may be Fort Bend County’s first unofficial skyscraper. Stavinoha said representatives from BFI launched balloons to the height of 170 feet so they could get a realistic idea of how it would impact the area. He said it did not appear that level, while it sounds high, will have a serious impact on the area. . .
I heard one of the developers, who's also on their HOA board for Sienna, refused to sign on to the petition. Is that correct?
more background-
Olivo calls meeting Thursday on landfill
By ZEN T. C. ZHENG
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
A townhall meeting Thursday is expected to draw residents from more than a dozen neighborhoods in and near Fort Bend County's eastend who are concerned about proposed expansion of a nearby landfill.
State Rep. Dora Olivo, D-Missouri City, has called the meeting, which will start at 7 p.m. at Willowridge High School, 16301 Chimney Rock.
In July, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality held a public meeting on the issue, which drew protests from neighbors.
Allied Waste, which does business as BFI in Houston, has been operating the Blue Ridge Landfill at 2200 FM 521 south of McHard Road and one mile north of Fresno.
The company is seeking permits from regulatory agencies including TCEQ to expand the 599-acre facility to 1,345 acres toward the north and west. Enlarging capacity would accommodate waste for 40 years.
TCEQ is reviewing the application with the initial comments taken from residents.
Precinct 1 County Commissioner Tom Stavinoha, who supports the landfill's expansion, said he received the invitation to the meeting from Olivo but chose not to attend.
"I think she's trying to stir things up," Stavinoha said. "I don't think we can stop the expansion unless TCEQ finds technical issues that it is not aware of."
Stavinoha and Herbert Appel, chief executive officer of Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council, who also endorses BFI's plan, had cited a "tipping fee" BFI has been contributing to the county. Now half of that money, up to $200,000 a year, will be directly used for the community near the landfill.
I found this thread on another area website discussing this issue:
responsible_dvlpmnt --- 1 hours ago - quote
Follow this developing story at the Blue Ridge Landfill here in Houston. CD-22 congressman-elect, along with several state representatives will be fighting for the rights of home & property owners in this community against an EDC and commissioner supported landfill expansion that would make the BRLF (courtesy of BFI) the largest in the Houston area (17 stories).
How's that for a holiday turkey! If you'd like to join us on the petition drive against this expansion just send your full name, phone number and address to responsible_dvlpmnt@yahoo.com.
For more see:
Turkey at Blue Ridge
Steve --- 1 hours ago - quote
170 feet is too high. I hate also that it is a in a watershed that feeds the brazos river. I can't nuch see arguing the horizontal expansion but the vertical, yeah. I would LOVE to see their storm water managment plans. I am sure they are spiffy. I would let them go sideways and build crippling fines into the ordinance so that it would be cheaper to effectively manage runoff than to get caught emmiting contaminant discharge.
responsible_dvlpmnt --- 4 min ago - quote
Steve,
Could you attend and bring this up? Our congressman-elect and several state reps are coming over this, but it doesn't look good. It's hard to face down a billion dollar corp.
more links to this-
A joke dedicated to JK and associates:
There are no honest lawyers
A lawyer named Impos Syble was shopping for a tombstone. After he had made his selection, the stonecutter asked him what inscription he would like on it.
"Here lies an honest man and a lawyer," responded the lawyer.
"Sorry, but I can't do that," replied the stonecutter. "In this state, it's against the law to bury two people in the same grave. However, I could put `here lies an honest lawyer'."
"But that won't let people know who it is!" protested the lawyer.
"Sure it will," retorted the stonecutter. "People will read it and exclaim, "That's impossible!"
Related thread from FBN:
A Holiday Turkey At Blue Ridge (Landfill Controversy Brewing)
At this time of year we get warm and cozy thoughts about the coming holidays. Special memories of family and friends cuddled around the fireplace (ok not in South Texas) sharing stories of events that helped shape our relationships and broader community. Food, family, friends and sometimes football are the centerpieces of this season of joy and hope! A place called home serves as the focal point for most of us.
This year is no different. Our family is just like many others rushing around trying to fill the gift list and pick up last minute food and supplies for this yearly event. Some things are different though this year and have tainted the fuzzy feelings, and will forever scar our memories of this season of ’06. I don’t speak of the protracted SLAPP-suit here in our community by Houston’s Johnson Development Corp. in Pedro Ruiz’s courtroom, but of the brewing controversy at the BFI Blue Ridge Landfill.
Recently several local papers have been reporting on the pending TCEQ Contested Hearing to be held December 7th at 7pm on the Blue Ridge Elementary campus off McHard Road. The proposed plan, that is supported by some of our Missouri City council members, the FBEDC via Herb Appel & Tom Stavinhoa, our misguided county commissioner who just a few years ago fought against a landfill proposal near his home, are supporting this project that would more than double the size of this already behemoth Blue Ridge Waste Treatment Center and triple its current mountain size height. The contemporary terminology for these herculean, super-sized landfills is “mega-landfills” (not like super-sizing your drink at McDonalds though). These are the crowning jewel in any waste management’s investment portfolio. According to the reports, it will last up to 40 years and seemingly handle all our garbage needs in and out of the county!
On the flip side, a dozen neighborhoods and thousands of homeowners, taxpayers & residents of the area from Shadow Creek Ranch over to Sienna Plantation, Teal Run, Vicksburg, Quail Valley and many, many other developing and more established subdivisions are speaking up. This group is lead and supported by District 17 State Representative Dora Olivo who is actively representing her constituents in the area. The concerns range from current and future water conditions, which are already a problem in this section of the county, to air and other quality of life indicators, as well as the negative economic impact such a facility will have on the burgeoning retail & residential growth being brought by the Houston development companies now flourishing here in this post-rural part of the county (many of these companies are active members of the FBEDC). Apparently our county already ranks among the top 10 for actual numbers of landfills (active and inactive). Do we really need this project?
In this classic David versus Goliath debate, where the residents are facing a nationally known billion dollar corporation, one may ask why even bother? It doesn’t seem to be a question stopping these concerned voters and taxpayers. The question that I would like to ask is why are some of our local elected officials not on board with this fight that will shape this community for many holidays to come?
How’s that for a holiday Turkey. . . ?
Chris Calvin, Ph.D.
Committee for Responsible Development Co-chair
Sienna Plantation
1 newpoint estates resident - Nov 22, 12:42 pm
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, 02:31 pm
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, 02:47 pm
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
more:
4 Tara Jurica - Nov 22, 10:46 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, 06:12 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 . . .
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
and more:
4 Tara Jurica - Nov 22, 10:46 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, 06:12 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, 01:15 pm
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 24, 05:32 am
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?).
ck this out:
http://georgia.ahrc.com/engine.php/submission;page=input,action=display,id=1033
See landfill opposition website at:
http://cabrle.spaces.live.com/
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