Hundreds show up to trash plan to build recycling plant by Silver Creek
FORT WORTH - Hundreds of people packed a high school auditorium Tuesday night to trash a Houston company's proposal for a construction waste recycling facility in Tarrant County.
The project would accept as much as 450 tons of concrete, wood, metal and plastic daily, separating and salvaging what it could for recycling. The location of the plant however, in the rural northwest corner of the county, adjacent to Silver Creek, and about a half mile from Lake Worth, has drawn concerns from residents and elected officials over potential water, air, noise and traffic impacts.
Texas Representative Charlie Geren requested the public meeting at Brewer High School with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, as it closed down the period for public comment on BAP Kennor's application to operate on the 6-acre site.
The property was previously used to mine sand and gravel, and currently has a permit for a waste management facility granted by the state in 1980. When Robert Sterling bought the property next door though four years ago, where he developed his Silver Creek RV Resort, he was confident nothing would ever happen on the land again because he said the previous owner told him they'd hit a natural spring, which flooded the area.
"Never thought anything like this could go on top of something like that," he said. "It just doesn't make any sense. Not even sure why it's a question."
With 70 permanent residents now living in their RV's at his resort, he's worried about immediate impacts from noise, dust and water resources. The application from Kennor said the facility will not generate any contaminated water or accept anything hazardous.
A letter submitted to the TCEQ from Fort Worth Council member Macy Hill, and Mayor Mattie Parker, also questioned the water impact though, noting the proximity to Lake Worth and its importance as a water supply. Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez spoke Tuesday night, telling company representatives he understood the need for waste facilities, but that the area was not the same as it was when permits were granted more than 40 years ago.
"This is a situation where the community grew up around that intended purpose and now it's no longer feasible for the area," he said.
Katheryn Moore lives less than a mile from the location, and said many residents are concerned about the impact on traffic and roads. The application cites a traffic study and letter from TXDOT that Silver Creek Rd. provides adequate access for the 144 trucks a day coming in.
"We're a two lane road," she said. "We have historical bridges on the road that don't hold a weight limit of 80-thosuand pounds which is what a waste truck could hold."
The TCEQ will consider all the submitted comments before coming to a decision on the company's application