Letters – Reader worries over water protection
To the Editor:
I’m sure by now you have all heard of the proposed 130 dump just north of town. There is a laundry list of serious reasons to oppose it, but the most fundamental reason is contamination of our drinking water. On this property there are three geological formations: the Midway, the Leona and the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifers.
The Leona is a shallow aquif
er comprised of clay, sand and gravel. It is a conduit for surface water and can be considered a recharge for the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer. A hydrologist explained it to me with this analogy. Imagine the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, which is Lockhart’s source of water, as fish tank filled with gravel. Pour water into the gravel in the tank, stick a straw into the gravel and suck the water from the tank. The straws are the wells into the gravel and water of the Carrizo-Wilcox that pumped out water for the city of Lockhart. The Leona is along the eastern edge of the proposed landfill dump hole. The Leona feeds into the Carrizo-Wilcox. The proposed dump is touted to have a 60 mil HDPE liner, which is approximately the thickness of a nickel.
Studies have proven that household items such as margarine, alcohol, vinegar, and household cleaning products deteriorate the HDPE liner. Then leachate, the highly toxic “juice” that leaks out of filth, can find its way into the Leona and filter into the Carrizo-Wilcox.
The “state of the art”, closed system landfill design is over 25 years old and has a history of leaks. Of course, we are told about the monitoring system, but if the leak isn’t in the direction of that monitor, it can be significant before detected. The TCEQ data shows the 42 percent of all monitored trash landfills leak that they know of.
With our enduring droughts and flood events, eventually the HDPE liner will fail and contaminate the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer.
My agenda is very simple the health and welfare of the people of Caldwell County: Are you willing to gamble the future of your water?
The other question is who is 130 Environmental Park LLC. Because Green Group Holding is not permitting this landfill.
So we don’t even know who we’re doing business with.
Alicia Thornton
Dale
Another thing most people don’t realize is that the park/wetlands area (another dangling carrot for Caldwell County for allowing Hwy 130 tollroad) that may open this year is less than 2 miles from the proposed dump. It is insane not to think you will not be able to hear or smell the dump from this park, not to mention all the dump truck traffic issues. I cannot believe anyone would think this is a good thing for the county.