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Hearing on landfill granted
  
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By Lucretia Cardenas
A contested case hearing on a proposed landfill east of Cut and Shoot will take place in Montgomery County within the next 11 months.
Commissioners with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality called for the hearing – after receiving more than 900 requests – during their meeting in Austin Wednesday.
About 50 Montgomery County residents who live near the proposed site attended the meeting and are elated with the commissioners’ decision.
“We are so happy and so encouraged,” said David Tate, a member of Citizens Against Montgomery Landfill. “I believe they will give us every opportunity to present a compelling case and we will abide by their decision when it’s all over or appeal it if necessary. … We’ll savor today and start planning for tomorrow.”
Montgomery Landfill Solutions, L.P., is proposing to construct a landfill on 473 acres off North Walker Road. The landfill would receive 3,000 tons of construction, demolition and grounds keeping waste a day, according to the permit.
Residents living near the site have concerns about water and air pollution as well as increased truck traffic on local roads.
During the TCEQ meeting, state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, pointed out that the proposed site sits in a creek bed and could contaminate the groundwater, an already limited resource in Montgomery County. He also voiced concerns about traffic, especially because another landfill is already in operation less than two miles away, he said.
Resident John Smith, whose wife heads CAML, said traffic is already an issue with garbage trucks using back roads to access the current landfill. Plus, more than 80 percent of the waste coming into the proposed site would be coming from Houston, not Montgomery County, he said.
Nichols, who has visited the site with a geologist, admits landfills are needed but he believes MLS’s proposed site is a poor choice and poses too many potential risks.
“I’d been in Austin for 140 days (for the Legislative session) and I thought this was important enough to make another trip back down,” Nichols said.
MLS representatives have maintained the landfill will be safe and follow all guidelines.
The TCEQ commissioners, taking the TCEQ executive director’s suggestion for a hearing into consideration, decided the best route is to let the State Office of Administrative Hearing judges sort out a number of issues. The residents who will be a party to the case are those living within one mile of the proposed site. Anyone else wishing to be a party will have to make their case before the SOAH judges.
The commissioners had the authority to deny the MLS permit Wednesday. However, Nichols said they have to have grounds to deny a permit and currently many unanswered questions exists.
Some of the main issues the SOAH hearing will address will be the operating procedures of the landfill, the conditions of the site and any potential for groundwater contamination, possible flooding and adequate use of the land.
Commissioners with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality called for the hearing – after receiving more than 900 requests – during their meeting in Austin Wednesday.
About 50 Montgomery County residents who live near the proposed site attended the meeting and are elated with the commissioners’ decision.
“We are so happy and so encouraged,” said David Tate, a member of Citizens Against Montgomery Landfill. “I believe they will give us every opportunity to present a compelling case and we will abide by their decision when it’s all over or appeal it if necessary. … We’ll savor today and start planning for tomorrow.”
Montgomery Landfill Solutions, L.P., is proposing to construct a landfill on 473 acres off North Walker Road. The landfill would receive 3,000 tons of construction, demolition and grounds keeping waste a day, according to the permit.
Residents living near the site have concerns about water and air pollution as well as increased truck traffic on local roads.
During the TCEQ meeting, state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, pointed out that the proposed site sits in a creek bed and could contaminate the groundwater, an already limited resource in Montgomery County. He also voiced concerns about traffic, especially because another landfill is already in operation less than two miles away, he said.
Resident John Smith, whose wife heads CAML, said traffic is already an issue with garbage trucks using back roads to access the current landfill. Plus, more than 80 percent of the waste coming into the proposed site would be coming from Houston, not Montgomery County, he said.
Nichols, who has visited the site with a geologist, admits landfills are needed but he believes MLS’s proposed site is a poor choice and poses too many potential risks.
“I’d been in Austin for 140 days (for the Legislative session) and I thought this was important enough to make another trip back down,” Nichols said.
MLS representatives have maintained the landfill will be safe and follow all guidelines.
The TCEQ commissioners, taking the TCEQ executive director’s suggestion for a hearing into consideration, decided the best route is to let the State Office of Administrative Hearing judges sort out a number of issues. The residents who will be a party to the case are those living within one mile of the proposed site. Anyone else wishing to be a party will have to make their case before the SOAH judges.
The commissioners had the authority to deny the MLS permit Wednesday. However, Nichols said they have to have grounds to deny a permit and currently many unanswered questions exists.
Some of the main issues the SOAH hearing will address will be the operating procedures of the landfill, the conditions of the site and any potential for groundwater contamination, possible flooding and adequate use of the land.
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Reader Comments
1wyrdhipychk wrote on Jul 9, 2009 7:19 PM:
" Yeah, one can say that about so many places in Montgomery County. 1st Street in Conroe, parts of Crockett Martin, Tamina, certain areas in The Woodlands, and the fact is, people with a lot of money think since these places house such "low class" citizens, they can dump their junk on us and no one will listen to us since we don't have the money to stop them.
Rainmaker is probably one of the people encouraging the MLS to dump on people in Midway and Security.
The creeks that flow through these areas, and there are at least 5, flow into Lake Houston, a reservoir and recreational area for hundreds. East Montgomery County is very low-lying ground, anyone that lives there can tell you that, and everyone out there subsists on well water. Rainfall will leech the contaminants into the water sources. Even more of the county's tax money will be used to try and clean our water, pay for health problems that will ensue because of the water quality, and eventually, close and remove the dump. We'll be unable use the water in any way.
But I'm sure as long as you have your money, and we're not in your neighborhood supposedly bringing down the property values, it's not important to you in any way, right, Rainmaker? "
Rainmaker is probably one of the people encouraging the MLS to dump on people in Midway and Security.
The creeks that flow through these areas, and there are at least 5, flow into Lake Houston, a reservoir and recreational area for hundreds. East Montgomery County is very low-lying ground, anyone that lives there can tell you that, and everyone out there subsists on well water. Rainfall will leech the contaminants into the water sources. Even more of the county's tax money will be used to try and clean our water, pay for health problems that will ensue because of the water quality, and eventually, close and remove the dump. We'll be unable use the water in any way.
But I'm sure as long as you have your money, and we're not in your neighborhood supposedly bringing down the property values, it's not important to you in any way, right, Rainmaker? "
1wyrdhipychk wrote on Jul 9, 2009 7:23 PM:
" But, on the note that there is going to be a hearing, I can express my happiness. Stop dumping on north East County!! All my prayers go with the people in CAML!!! May justice prevail. "
whatchumean wrote on Jul 9, 2009 8:49 PM:
" Of course, this issue is over Houston's trash. Why don't they just turn Acres Homes in an official landfill. Knowing our luck, all of the trash living there would come to Montgomery County. I'm not sure which trash is worse. LMAO "
rainmaker12 wrote on Jul 10, 2009 10:40 AM:
" Im not to blame for this area being a dump and I do care for your situation.
Blame your officals.
Montgomery County Judge Alan B. Sadler
301 W Thompson
Suite 210
Conroe, TX
Montgomery County Commissioner Ed Rinehart
P.O. Box 84
New Caney, TX 77357
State Senator Robert Nichols
2040 N. Loop 336 West
Suite 107 Box 7
Conroe, TX 77304
State Representative Brandon Creighton
326 1/2 Main Street
Suite 110
Conroe, TX 77301
State Senator Tommy Williams
P.O. Box 12068
Capital Station
Austin, TX 78711 "
Blame your officals.
Montgomery County Judge Alan B. Sadler
301 W Thompson
Suite 210
Conroe, TX
Montgomery County Commissioner Ed Rinehart
P.O. Box 84
New Caney, TX 77357
State Senator Robert Nichols
2040 N. Loop 336 West
Suite 107 Box 7
Conroe, TX 77304
State Representative Brandon Creighton
326 1/2 Main Street
Suite 110
Conroe, TX 77301
State Senator Tommy Williams
P.O. Box 12068
Capital Station
Austin, TX 78711 "
iamthepush wrote on Jul 10, 2009 2:03 PM:
" "Resident John Smith, whose wife heads CAML, said traffic is already an issue with garbage trucks using back roads to access the current landfill."
So John you're telling me a truck headed east on 105 for the landfill at 1924 105 turns left on walker, then right on parker rd, left on pine road, right on meadow lake rd, goes down woodpeckers grove just for the fun of it, and finds his way to duck creek road then back to 105???
Plus, more than 80 percent of the waste coming into the proposed site would be coming from Houston, not Montgomery County, he said.
What does this have to do with anything???
Isn't there already a landfill in the area? If the ground water is going to get polluted, it probably already is. "
So John you're telling me a truck headed east on 105 for the landfill at 1924 105 turns left on walker, then right on parker rd, left on pine road, right on meadow lake rd, goes down woodpeckers grove just for the fun of it, and finds his way to duck creek road then back to 105???
Plus, more than 80 percent of the waste coming into the proposed site would be coming from Houston, not Montgomery County, he said.
What does this have to do with anything???
Isn't there already a landfill in the area? If the ground water is going to get polluted, it probably already is. "
rainmaker12 wrote on Jul 9, 2009 3:38 PM: