FB Star Covers Recent Contested Case Hearing Rulings & Commissioner Stavinhoa's Response--

Discovery continues in Blue Ridge Landfill case
No new revelations says attorney for grass roots group

By Cheryl Skinner
Richard Morrison, the attorney for a grass roots group opposing the planned expansion of Blue Ridge Landfill, says there are no new revelations in the case and that discovery is continuing at this time.

In a blog site called “Missouri City Chatter,” an update posting last week indicated that some progress and changes were being made in the case. However, Morrison said the events posted on the site were not set in stone because the events were simply a part of discovery with both sides asking for more facts or information from each other. “This is just part of the normal discovery process, pre-hearing, and nothing has changed. I don’t look for anything until the actual hearing, which is sometime in July,” Morrison explained.

On the blog site two recent events, described as “decisions” were mentioned. One was a request to get more support for the claims by television stations that the expansion would interfere with Doppler signals.

Morrison said that is simply a request by Blue Ridge attorneys to get substantiation and not any type of official ruling.

The other thing mentioned was an attempt by those same attorneys to have the case moved from Fort Bend County to another location, which the site said had been denied and was a victory for those in opposition. This too, was a pre-hearing/trial move and standard operating procedure, Morrison noted.

Opponents and proponents met in Fort Bend County in October for a meeting to determine if a contested hearing on the landfill would be granted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. It was and now the discovery portion is ongoing in anticipation of the hearing, which is similar to a court trial.

The hotly disputed landfill expansion plan is being vigorously opposed by area television stations and a grass-roots organization that claim the expansion will hurt the media’s ability to forecast severe weather, including hurricanes and tornados, reduce property values, and pose a threat to the health and well being of residents who live in the shadow of the landfill. . .
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Also see related pieces at:

http://www.fortbendstar.com/120507/n_Tipping%20fees%20explained%20by%20Commissioner%20Stavinoha.htm (Commissioner Stavinhoa defends "tipping fees")

http://blogs.chron.com/fortbend/archives/2007/12/tv_stations_dea_1.html (recent chron blog on this)