‘Poor, poor location.’ Wise County officials worried about proposed landfill near watershed
Wise County officials are not letting down their guard concerning a proposed construction waste landfill that would be in a rapidly growing area near busy roads and the West Fork of the Trinity River, an important water source for Fort Worth.
They are worried about increased traffic, what type of waste will be allowed and how the water supply will be protected.
Chisholm Trail Disposal, owned by Georgia-based Green Group Holdings, is seeking to build the landfill near Boyd and Aurora, and submitted an updated permit application in late January with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. It is still under review.
The proposed landfill is in Aurora’s extraterritorial jurisdiction at 291 Private Road 4674, near an area called Bobo Crossing.
The Wise County Mayors Coalition will discuss the landfill at 6 p.m. Feb. 26 during its meeting at the Bridgeport City Hall.
Boyd Mayor Rodney Holmes said it is important to have transparency and exchange information concerning the landfill.
“We are definitely concerned about this,” Holmes said.
County Judge J.D. Clark has filed for a contested case hearing, similar to a court proceeding, with the TCEQ because of his concerns about the landfill.
“Wise County filed the first contested case hearing for this proposed landfill, and we will continue to request a contested case hearing and public hearing. It is a poor, poor location choice for this project,” he said in an email to the Star-Telegram.
Green Group officials told the Star-Telegram previously that growth is driving the need for the landfill as construction is booming in Wise and surrounding counties.
Asked about the concerns from Wise County leaders, Thad Owings, director of operations and landfill development for Green Group Holdings, wrote in an email the landfill is on an existing soil mining operation and repurposing the site for the landfill would have less of an impact on the public.
Owings added that a traffic study was completed and there won’t be an impact on nearby roadways. In fact, the truck traffic and tonnage would be less than the current mining operation, he said.
Owings said only construction waste will be accepted. This includes brush and rubbish, concrete, brick, rock, wood, paper, plastics, cardboard and roofing shingles and tiles. The company will conduct visual inspections regularly to make sure the waste disposal requirements are met, Owings said.
He added that in order to get the TCEQ permit, the company must show there is a good protection system in place for the groundwater.
The site will have a network of groundwater monitoring wells, and there will be a protective base built from 3 feet of low permeability compacted soil and 1 foot of protective cover.
“The safety and well-being of the community are of utmost importance to us, and we are committed to meeting or exceeding all regulatory requirements to protect the environment,” Owings said.
Christi Gilbert, Aurora’s city administrator, said there are concerns about heavy traffic with trucks coming and going from the landfill. The site is also near a railroad crossing.
“Water here is also a concern. We don’t want potential contamination of our groundwater,” she said.
“Everybody agrees that there needs to be more information and opportunity for public comments.”
A spokesperson for State Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, said that Parker requested a public meeting, but there is no date yet.