Travis County, we have a problem…
Travis County Residents Should Oppose Expansion Plans of Both Problem Landfills
Despite years of community opposition and activism by neighboring residents, both the BFI and Waste Managment landfills (near 290 & 183) are seeking to expand. Concerned residents and elected officials should oppose these expansions and call for better solutions for our waste.
Click here to send email, letters or make calls to the key County Commissioners to urge them to oppose BFI plans to pile seven more stories of trash in a problem landfill.
Click here to learn more about the NE Travis landfills and help fight their expansions.
Live near a stinky landfill? Click here for a guide to filing complaints.
Legal Battle Begins Over Waste Managment Expansion
Waste Management Inc. has requested to expand their landfill laterally by over 70 acres. Landfill neighbors and environmental activists are entering into a legal battle to oppose the state environmental agency’s approval of the permit application.
This landfill received the highest fine ever against a landfill by the state environmental agency, and both the City of Austin and Travis County are officially opposing this expansion. It is sometimes known as Austin’s Love Canal because approximately one million gallons of industrial hazardous waste was dumped in unlined pits and has never been cleaned up.
Already, Travis County has an over-supply of landfill space, which is resulting in the County handling garbage from over 30 counties. The City of Austin’s household trash doesn’t go to the Waste Management or BFI landfills.
Neighbors, Concerned Residents Send Strong Message at BFI Public Hearing
BFI is seeking to expand 75 feet vertically, which would make their landfill taller than Mt. Bonnell! Dozens of Travis County residents came to a public hearing in October of 2007 to voice their opposition to the expansion. TCE activists delivered an oversized letter to the County Commissioners signed by over 70 community leaders, including Austin City Council members Cheyl Cole and Mike Martinez and Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton.
The BFI and Waste Management expansions are now moving through a contested case hearing, which is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trail. To read more about this process, click here.
Click here for the Austin-American Statesman story
Click here for the KXAN story
Click here for the News 8 Austin story
Click here to see TCE responses to Judge Biscoe's defense of the contract.
May 2007 Meeting on BFI Expansion Attended by Hundreds of Residents
In May 2007, hundreds of area residents turned out to the public meeting to oppose the expansion of BFI's problem landfill in NE Travis County. Travis County Commissioner Ron Davis drew cheers for his opposition to the expansion. Speaker after speaker from the nearby neighborhoods and Austinites from other parts of the city eloquently laid out the case that expanding this landfill is not compatible with the existing and planned land uses for the area. There was a steady drumbeat of stories of BFI failing to remedy on-going noxious gas, run-off, noise and other problems.
One of the more poignant moments were the comments by Jesus Martinez, the President of the Student Council of Bluebonnet Trail Elementary School and his brother Emilio and sister Arianna. They talked about the awful odors that cause gagging and nausea. They also told of buzzard droppings on their track and playground equipment. View the KVUE News story here.
Click here to read TCE's comments.
City of Austin Pledges to Fight Problem Landfill Expansions
On May 17, 2007, the Austin City Council unanimously passed a resolution to oppose the expansions of the BFI and Waste Management problem landfills in NE Travis County. Hundreds of letters were sent by TCE supporters to urge the City Council to pass this resolution. A letter in support of the resolution was delivered to Councilmembers signed by leading environmental and community leaders.
Background
We must stop these landfills from expanding is NOW, while they still have time remaining in their permit to relocate.
Travis County has plenty of landfill space; there is no need to expand landfills in the midst of communities and workplaces of Northeast Travis County. Together, the Waste Management and BFI landfills have received over 20 violations and areas of concern have been issued against them by the state environmental agency since 2002.
These landfills have received 800 citizen pollution complaints because of odor and nuisance problems since 2001, more than any other polluter. They continue to emit gases that cause noxious odors and affect the public’s health. These landfills drain into Decker Lake, a recreational lake to the east, and into a large tributary of Walnut Creek to the west.
The expansion would continue to make Travis County the dumping ground for the region – the NE landfills take garbage from at least 30 counties. Three of the four landfills in the immediate 10-county area are in Travis County. (Williamson County has the fourth.)
This landfills threaten economic development plans to locate more neighborhoods and businesses in the Eastern part of Travis County, away from the highly sensitive Barton Springs Recharge Zone. The landfill depresses property values and the county’s tax base.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don’t BFI and Waste Management do more recycling?
While trash companies provide some recycling services away from these landfills, one report estimated the Waste Management’s profit margin on landfills was ten times that of recycling.
Are we running out of landfill space?
No! In fact, we have an over-supply of landfill space, which is resulting in Travis County handling the garbage for over 30 counties! The City of Austin’s household trash doesn’t go to either of these landfills.
Have BFI and Waste Management been good operators?
No! In fact, over a thousand complaints have been filed against these two Northeast Travis County landfills. BFI was fined $28,000 and Waste Management $239,000, the highest fines ever levied by the state regulating agency against a landfill. They have very small buffers that are totally inadequate for this massive operation of two landfills side by side.
Are they in a good location?
No! They are in the middle of Austin’s plan to bring the next quarter million people. Massive high-density developments are exploding in the area with the expansion of 290 and the opening of SH130. They are only 8 miles from the State Capitol.
Is it possible for there to be a good landfill?
Yes! Texas Disposal Systems, a locally run company in Travis County, has had a very good operating history. It composts more organic waste than the entire City of Austin household waste stream, uses an exotic game ranch as a buffer and has a 300 seat community center that holds over 100 events a year!
Campaign Press
Austin City Council rejects recycling contract with BFI/Allied
TCE Hails Decision of Austin City Council to Continue Opposition to Problem Landfill (TCE)
Landfill Will Top Mount Bonnell in Height (Austin Chronicle)
Take Action
Tell Austin City Council to Shorten the Timeframe on the Bag Ban
The Austin City Council has rightfully included paper bags in the single-use bag ban ordinance, but the Mayor's suggested timeframe should be reduced from 4 years to 6 months. The bag, retail and grocer industries have had almost 7 years to get with the program and adding another several years will only delay what Austinites have been asking for for some time now.
Leander ISD School Board to Get with the Recycling Program
Leander ISD has had contracts with Allied Waste & Clawson Disposal for trash collection & single-stream recycling which provides for all recyclables to be put in one bin - including cardboard, paper, plastics and metals. Many schools were unaware that this service has been available since 2008. The school district has not effectively worked with most of the schools to set up the recycling program in the schools and other facilities. Click here to contact the LISD School Board.
Tell San Marcos City Council to Ban Single-use Checkout Bags
The City of San Marcos is considering a ban on single-use bags at retail and grocery checkout registers. Plastic bags use dirty fossil fuels and paper bags use natural resources and copious amounts of water during production. Single-use are a blight on Texas communities, clog up waste water and sewage systems and cost tax payers valuable dollars. Please click here to tell the San Marcos City Council that a single-use ban on both paper and plastic bags is in order.
Houston Residents: Tell City Council Members to Expand Quality Recycling for All!
Recycling is on the rise. Nationally, we recycle about one-third of our discards, some major cities are recycling 50%-75%. More Americans now say they recycle than vote regularly! But despite this national progress, the Houston area has one of the lowest recycling rates of any major U.S. region. Less than tenth of Houston’s residential waste gets recycled. Our elected officials can help, if we ask them to.
Tell the City of Austin to Ban Single-Use Bags
In April, 2007, the Austin City Council asked its staff to evaluate options to reduce the use of plastic bags. Then, in January 2008, the Austin City Council passed a resolution and set a goal of reducing the flow of plastic bags into the waste stream by 50% by June 2009. At the request of retailers, the resolution relied mostly on a voluntary effort. The retail, grocery and bag industries have had 4 years to prove that only a voluntary effort was needed in Austin to curtail bag waste, but this effort has failed.
Links
zero-waste solutions
NE Travis County landfill
» campaign info
» campaign press
» take action
» links
