Fort Bend Sun Covers Landfill Protests! (Click title link)

Residents speak out against landfill
By: ADAM YANELLI, Sun Staff


More than 200 people showed up for a public meeting opposing the expansion of a landfill that they say already has diminished their quality of life.

Members of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Allied Waste/BFI listened to complaints and answered questions - though not always to the satisfaction of the residents - during a public meeting at Blue Ridge Elementary on McHard Road.

Residents of Fort Bend, Brazoria and Harris counties have formed the Coalition Against Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion (CABRLE) to stop the expansion of the Blue Ridge Landfill located at 2200 FM 521 just south of McHard road in Fresno.

Allied Waste/BFI submitted a permit amendment application to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to expand the facility to 1,345 acres from 599 acres, and increase the landfill's height to 170 feet from 58 feet to increase its capacity to accommodate waste for a new proposed age of 40 years.

The permit application was submitted in January, declared administratively complete in February, and released to the public on Nov. 8. Residents formed a grass roots organization on Nov. 14 to petition the TCEQ to deny the amendment.

Environmental lawyer Richard Morrison has been hired by CABRLE to defend the coalition and secure expert witnesses. He also addressed the panel at the meeting.

Morrison said in Allied Waste's filing, evidence of statistically high levels of barium had already been found in one of the monitoring wells at the landfill. . .

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Comment: Get your written comments to the TCEQ post-marked before Dec. 18th at:

Office of the Chief Clerk MC-105
TCEQ
P.O. Box 13087
Austin, TX 78711