Letters – Readers worry about landfill tactics
To the Editor:
I am writing in regards to the proposed landfill/transfer station that Green Group Holdings (GGH), a Georgia-based waste company, is striving to inflict upon our county and specifically our area. It is truly remarkable that there is actually a group (GAP) in Lockhart that believes a mountain of trash at the entrance of our county would be a great idea
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Undoubtedly this group has not considered the potential devastating consequences of having a landfill built over the Leona Aquifer and within the recharge zone of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer. GGH insists that the dump will not leak but history proves otherwise. This leakage could negatively affect our county’s primary water supply, the San Marcos River. To turn a beautiful piece of property with a large reservoir into a massive dump with eventually 26.5 million tons of waste would be a disaster for our county.
The GAP group is labeling us and our neighbors that are against the dump, as users of “scare tactics” instead of people who care about the environment and our county. Growth and Progress??? The growth of stench, vermin, methane gas, waste, traffic and pollution, etc will occur. The only progress will be the progression of businesses going elsewhere for the obvious reason that no business wants to be in the proximity of a dump.
According to the Austin American Statesman article on Nov. 29, GGH will pay $600,000 this year alone to six lobbyists including four high ranking officials at the state environmental agency. The group has also donated over $15,000 to the campaigns of state Rep. Tim Kleinschmidt, state Sen. Troy Fraser who heads the Senate Natural Resources committee and to state House Speaker Joe Straus. As also pointed out in the article, the landfill will be in direct competition with the region’s dominant landfill, Texas Disposal Systems, in Creedmoor which has decades left for landfill. The obvious question is: do we need another landfill bringing in 15,000 tons of trash per day with possibly oil field waste and coal ash as is the case in Alabama?
When the local GAP group went to see other dumps run by GGH with their trip paid for by GGH, did they go to the Alabama site where residents are suffering from terrible odors, respiratory and eye irritations, headaches, nausea, vomiting, noise pollution and dropping property values? Would the GAP group relish living across the street from the dump as my husband and I, our son and his wife, and all of our neighbors will be doing?
Our property fronts on FM 1185. We are adamantly opposed to the landfill/transfer station which will bring no quality jobs to Lockhart, increased traffic on our already dangerous roads ( 500 garbage trucks a day), pollution to our water and air, as well as vermin, litter and destruction of property values.
Robert and Claudia Shroyer Brown, MA, LPC-S
Jesse and Debbie Shroyer
In understanding of the issue(s) at hand; I think to “strengthen that which remains” concept, would best suit this matter. If TDS has already proven themselves “as responsible” in these matters…then funding to better equip them (TDS) to handle the increases in waste and waste disposal should be the directive. We all can do our part in supporting them and their proven methods…and in doing so…cancel out the witness set against us by the mouths of those opposing. This type of conservative push should give clear witness that we are not turning a deaf ear…but rather embracing the need through tested and approved application.