Environment Texas Blog

by Gina Meagher, Environment Texas Intern 

At 9:00 this morning there was a public hearing concerning the trash deal BFI is proposing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. BFI Waste Management wants to build upon their trash empire because they believe there will not be adequate room for the accumulating trash piles.

Many upset Austinites and residents of east Austin attended the hearing to protest to the county commissioners what a “stinky deal” this was for everyone. Residents are enraged because although they are the constituents of the county commissioners, their pleas to reject the agreement are not being granted. Among those in attendance of the hearing were various environmentalists, government officials, and neighbors of the landfill. Before the hearing, Robin Schneider of Texas Campaign for the Environment held a press conference outside to rally support of the protesters and gain momentum for the march inside.

Once inside, the attention was turned to County Judge Sam Briscoe. Judge Briscoe supports the agreement, arguing that if we don’t cut a deal now with BFI, they could potentially turn to the state to get the landfill opened for decades. Although he also claims to live the closest out of the county commissioners to the landfill, he is the most adamant about making the deal. This was made apparent in his interruptions of the testimonials by people against the deal throughout the hearing.

There were many testimonials from citizens with very compelling evidence and arguments not to go through with the deal. Tears filled the eyes of people relating how children are not able to even go outside for recess because of the stench, sickness as a result of the rats, bacteria in the air, and pesticides, and the landfill pathetically becoming the biggest monument in that section of town. After these testimonials, I couldn’t understand how anyone would be able to deny these citizens the right to choose to stand up for their wellbeing and have the final say in the deal. After all, they are the ones who literally have to live next door to the heaping pile of hot mess.

Commissioners Eckhardt and Davis however did not support the deal. Commissioner Eckhardt earned himself a roaring applause from the citizens after his speech on where he stood on the deal and how he felt about his constituents, especially the children, having to deal with the hazardous and stinky landfill. Overall, the hearing seemed to be successful in letting the commissioners know where Austinites stand and how awful this deal would be for everyone. The county commissioners are scheduled to vote on the deal October 30, so everyone is keeping their fingers crossed that the county commissioners will wake up and smell the trash.