FB Star Reports On Blue Ridge Landfill Settlement Talks--click the title link for the full story--

Residents’ group opposed to landfill expansion
continues negotiations with trash company on landfill

By Cheryl Skinner

The city of Pearland and the three Houston television stations who were attempting to stop the issuance of an expansion permit for a landfill operation in Fort Bend County, have reportedly come to a settlement agreement with Republic Services. However, the grassroots group, Coalition Against Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion, continues “a good faith negotiation” with the company and no settlement has been reached, says Richard Morrison, the attorney representing the group.

The negotiations between the Coalition Against Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion and Republic Services Inc., is ongoing, Morrison says but no terms have been reached. The company reportedly came to a compromise with the three Houston television stations— KTRK (Channel 13), KRIV (Fox 26) and KHOU (Channel 11) and the city of Pearland during recent weeks. . .

MCC comment: This is the landfill company that has made contributions to Missouri City council members and some county commissioners along with signing a contract not to oppose this landfill planned for near 20 stories by giving these governmental entities "tipping fees" often called in the press "legal" bribes. Some of the key political players in supporting landfill expansion have been Bob Hebert, Allen Owen, Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council, Oberg PAC...

More From The Houston Chronicle On The Blue Ridge Landfill Near Missouri City--click here for more--

Residents' group opposed to landfill expansion tries to make deal with operating company
By ZEN T.C. ZHENG HOUSTON CHRONICLE

In a twist in a near four-year battle, a grassroots group fighting a landfill expansion plan in east Fort Bend County is seeking an out-the-court settlement with the company behind the project.

The negotiations between the Coalition Against Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion and Republic Services Inc. come on the heels of a string of compromises between the company and other opponents that included three local television stations — KTRK (Channel 13), KRIV (Fox 26) and KHOU (Channel 11) and the city of Pearland....(follow the link above for the full story)

MCC comment: This is the landfill expansion project that the mayor of Missouri City (Allen Owen) and our county commissioners (Bob Hebert) agreed not to fight for "tipping fees" some years ago.

Chron: Blue Ridge Landfill Update (T.V. stations settle out of the fight)--click the title link for more--

This is the same landfill expansion project to nearly 20 stories that was endorsed and approved by edc politicians Bob Hebert (County commissioner) and Allen Owen (Mayor of Missouri City, TX). MCC comment/editorial

CHRON: Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion, Near Missouri City,...Update!

Landfill opposition group to get new attorney
Waste company makes deal with 2 TV stations

By ZEN T.C. ZHENG CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT
Jan. 2009,

A grass-roots group battling a landfill expansion plan in east Fort Bend County is expected to have a new attorney within a month now that Richard Morrison, their current lawyer, has decided to devote himself exclusively to his new county commissioner’s job.

“I will find a very capable counsel for my clients within 30 days and maybe sooner,” Morrison said on Jan. 7.
Morrison also said there is no truth to rumors that the group, Coalition Against Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion, has reached a settlement with the trash-disposal company, Allied Waste, which is now Republic Services, after the two companies merged late last year.

The two-year fight began after the company applied for a state permit to add 1,345 acres to the 599-acre landfill on the west side of FM 521 north of Fresno. With the plan, the landfill would rise in height from 58 to 170 feet in 40 years.
Strong community opposition resulted in opponents being granted a contested case hearing by Texas Commission for Environmental Quality, which had preliminarily approved the expansion. The contested case hearing to be conducted by the State Office of Administrative Hearings is essentially a civil trial.

In order to avoid the hearing, in early 2008, the company sought a settlement with the opponents that also include the city of Pearland and three local television stations — KTRK (Channel 13), KRIV (Fox 26) and KHOU (Channel 11).

Negotiations failed last year between the company and two opposition groups, including the city and the coalition, which comprises residents from numerous subdivisions near the landfill.

However, Gary McCuistion, a company spokesman, said on Jan. 8 that the company has struck a deal with two of the TV stations, KTRK and KHOU.

“We are still reaching out to the city of Pearland although we haven’t been talking to the citizens group,” McCuistion said. . .


Follow the title link above for the entire piece.

MCC Comment: This is the landfill near Missouri City that city council officials and county commissioners (except for Morrison) agreed to not oppose for "tipping fees" and recorded highly toxic Barium leaks in 2005.

FB Chronicle (front page)-- Permit Hearing Approaches Oct. 16th

Sides prepare for landfill hearing
Coalition seeks to derail permit request

By ZEN T. C. ZHENG
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

A waste management company that plans to expand a landfill in east Fort Bend County will face off with project opponents next month at a hearing in Richmond.

The hearing on Allied Waste's request for a permit for expansion is set for 10 a.m. Oct. 16 at the county's commissioners' courtroom and will be conducted by a judge with the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings.

On its Web site, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which granted the contested case hearing in July, described the contested case hearing as a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in state district court.

The commission previously gave preliminary approval to the company's plan to add 1,345 acres to the 599-acre landfill, known as Blue Ridge Landfill at 2200 FM 521, which would rise in height from 58 to 170 feet in 40 years.

A request for a hearing came from project opponents, including residents in east Fort Bend County and Pearland who formed the Coalition Against Blue Ridge Landfill.

Also opposed to the project are three local television stations, KTRK (Channel 13), KRIV (Fox 26) and KHOU (Channel 11), who claim the expansion could block their weather-forecasting signals.

The administrative hearing judge will make a recommendation to the three-member state commission based on evidence given at the hearing, according to Lisa Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the state commission.

The commission may or may not follow the recommendation or can chose to modify it in its decision, she said.

Richard Morrison, an attorney for the coalition, believes the judge's opinion from the administrative hearing will have an impact on the commission's decision....(follow title link above for full story)

MCC Exclusive: Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion Contested Case Hearing Set For October 16th!!!

Just In: BRLFE Contested Case Hearing Set For Oct. 16th!!!
Published on 09/01/07 - 15:12:24 by MCCNewsUpdates

The contested hearing for the hotly disputed Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion Permit Hearing is set for 10:00a.m. -- Oct. 16th 2007 in the Fort Bend County Commissioner's Courtroom on 309 South 4th Street, Suite 701 in Richmond Texas. This landfill is located near Missouri City, Arcola, Fresno & Pearland, TX. The permit seeks to expand this landfill to nearly triple its current height and double the land area despite recently reported Barium leaks.

This case gathered immediate attention when it was learned that elected officials from Missouri City (including the mayor) and Fort Bend County Commissioners accepted "tipping fees" in order not to oppose the expansion. These endorsements also included our own Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council, with little explanation ever given for this move. Several Houston t.v. stations have joined the opposition case with many area neighborhoods which may be impacted lead by state and national representatives, namely Dora Olivo. Some of the stations believe this height may block some of the doppler radar signals and create a potential threat to S.E. Texas when tracking major storms.

Background On This Case Can Be Retrieved Through Searching The Following Sites:

http://missouricitychatter.blogspot.com

http://www.fortbendweb.com

http://www.fortbendnow.com

& Other local media sources.

The official CABRLE website is also an excellent source:

http://cabrle.spaces.live.com/


Stay informed and keep in touch!

FBS Reports On BRLE 7/25 Hearing--

Landfill hearing still on for July 25

By Cheryl Skinner
Both sides of the proposed landfill expansion are gearing up for a July 25 meeting in Austin. Landfill officials are expected to plead their case for allowing the Blue Ridge Landfill, near Fresno, to expand its size and opponents, ranging from a grass roots organization to local television stations, will appear to try and stop the expansion.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality agreed to hear the arguments to determine if a contested hearing will be granted. Allied Waste wants approval to increase the size of the existing landfill that would allow the company to take in additional acreage and, over a 40-year period, increase the height of the refuse 58 feet to 170 feet.

Three local television stations, KTRK (Channel 13), KRIV (Fox 26) and KHOU (Channel 11), joined the fight against the proposal late. They voiced concerns that weather-forecasting radar signals will be blocked if the expansion were to take place. The stations say this will pose a threat to public safety, according to attorney Richard Lowerre, who is representing the stations.

Richard Morrison, attorney for the Coalition Against the Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion, said while the odds are stacked against the group, he is hopeful the hearing will result in a contested hearing. He said a contested hearing is equivalent to a court case where all sides can present evidence to try and substantiate their claims.

The expansion plan was approved by Fort Bend County Commissioners and the city of Missouri City due to an agreement with Allied years ago.

Under the agreement, which resulted in the controversial tipping fees paid to the city and county by Allied, the agreeing entities would not oppose any future expansion to the landfill. However, governmental entities that did enter into an agreement have organized to oppose the plan. The city of Pearland and some Brazoria County officials have also voiced opposition to the plan. . . (get the entire story by following the title link above)

FBStar Reports On Landfill & Election Impact--

State grants Blue Ridge Landfill expansion permit
Residents say they will continue to fight

By Cheryl Skinner
Opponents of the Blue Ridge Landfill near Fresno say they will continue the fight to oppose expanding the facility, despite the revelation that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says the company meets all the requirements of law and will be granted the permit for expansion.

The TCEQ sent out letters to those who had opposed the expansion in writing saying the entity had reviewed public comments about the controversial application to expand Blue Ridge Landfill near Fresno, and concluded the owner, Allied Waste, meets the requirements of applicable law.

Blue Ridge Landfill plans to expand the “waste footprint” from 302 to 784 acres, and to increase the maximum height waste can be piled from the current 58 to 170 feet.

Opponents say the fight isn’t over. The Coalition Against Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion, a grassroots organization made up primarily of residents living near the site, say they will file for a contested hearing.

If TCEQ grants that request for the hearing, an independent judge would determine if the landfill application really does comply with the law.

Residents living near the facility have been very vocal about their opposition. The proposal to expand the landfill which is located at 2200 F.M. 521 near the town of Fresno has brought opposition from some government entities as well. Officially opposing the landfill are Brazoria County and the City of Pearland, however Fort Bend County and Missouri City have not opposed the plan to increase the size of the landfill. This is primarily due to the fact that both entities entered into an agreement some years ago that said they would not oppose future expansion plans. Allied agreed to pay a “tipping fee” to local governments and those funds can be used for improvements to the area. Local officials say the nearly $1 million a year in tipping fees has been allocated to the Fresno area. Opponents say the fee is nothing more than a legal bribe to keep officials from opposing expansion plans. . .

. . . While Allied previously acknowledged that, in November 2005 there was barium detected that was deemed “a statistically significant exceedance of barium.” But, company officials said, they felt the barium was a naturally occurring event. Opponents say this event, regardless of what caused it, could be a detriment to water wells located near the site. Some county officials have pointed out that the area will be converting from groundwater within the next few years and that should eliminate or at least reduce concerns. . .

. . . The landfill has turned into a political issue and those in opposition to the expansion are promoting a group of candidates who are running for Missouri City council slots.



Stay tuned as we update this controversy near Missouri City.

ABC13 Covers Landfill Proposal--

Landfill is a tall concern for some residents
By Miya Shay
(4/02/07 - KTRK/FORT BEND COUNTY, TX) - A trash company is looking at expanding a landfill from the current 40 feet limit height to a proposed 170 feet.

Also on ABC13.com:

The landfill expansion proposal would happen on FM 521, just south of McHard Road, but it's not just the extra landfill that's a concern.

The landfill sits inside the Fort Bend County lines, but it's just across the street from a major Pearland neighborhood. Besides worries about the environmental impact, there is a new concern. Will a bigger and higher landfill affect how you get your weather information?

Along the fort bend and Brazoria County lines, the Blue Ridge Landfill is already in operation, but plans to expand the dump site is causing nearby Pearland city officials plenty of concern. That's especially with the growing Shadow Creek Ranch subdivision just across FM 521.

"It's right across the street from the fastest growing master planned community in the Houston area," said Kevin Cole of the Pearland City Council. "We have a lot of concerns from the people across the street from here."
For the people who live in the area, it's not just the sight and smell that worries them. If the landfill expansion is approved, it could eventually grow to 230 feet high. That level is much higher than the Doppler radar towers of several TV stations, situated nearby.

"It's a flat area, it's got great visibility, so it happens to be where a lot of the TV stations have put up their radars," said ABC13 Chief Meteorologist Tim Heller. "Unfortunately the landfill is also in that same spot." . . . (get the full story and the streaming video by clicking the title link above).

Also get this FBN story and thread at: http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/2754

Contribute or volunteer to CABRLE by seeking more info at: http://cabrle.spaces.live.com/

Get more on the MC candidates that oppose this landfill expansion proposal at: http://mcelectioninformation.blogspot.com/


Stay informed and keep in touch. This landfill shares waterways with our community!