Residents filled up a public meeting Oct. 23 at the Sam Houston Race Park to express a wide range of concerns regarding a proposed landfill expansion at 8205 Fairbanks N. Houston Road.
The landfill, owned and operated by the USA Waste of Texas Landfills, Inc., would be expanded laterally and vertically, with plans included to create a hilly green space to serve as cover. As a Type IV Municipal Solid Waste landfill, only construction and demolition waste is allowed, including lumber, debris, concrete and soil. Household waste such as food items, used oil and tires are not allowed, said Chuck Rivette with Waste Management, Inc., which owns USA Waste.
"Normally Type IV landfills do not generate odor," he said. "There are screening protocols in place to make sure only the permitted materials enter the site."
The permit boundary area would increase from 118 acres to 189 acres. Maximum elevation would increase 96 feet to 250 feet above mean sea level—about 140 feet above natural ground. The depth of the landfill would not be changed. About 137 acres of the total permit space would be used for waste disposal with the remaining 52 acres serving as buffer space.
Officials with USA Waste cited a need to increase disposal volume as the current facility reaches capacity. Projected fill rates suggest the expanded landfill would reach capacity in about 27 years. The expansion would involve using space currently set aside as a sand pit, Rivette said.
"The directive we have been receiving from the [Environmental Protection Agency] and [the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality] since the late 1980s is that they don't want a bunch of shallow, small sites—they want fewer, larger regional sites," he said.
In order to expand the landfill, USA Waste was first required to apply with the TCEQ. TCEQ received the application in August 2013 and declared it technically complete by August 2014, at which point a draft permit was written and the public meeting was scheduled.
Around 20 people spoke against the proposed expansion at the Oct. 23 meeting, including residents from the Rolling Fork subdivision to the south of the landfill and representatives from Sikh Center to the north. The landfill also drew criticism for its proximity to Reed Elementary School and a handful of churches.
Complaints varied from increased burden on traffic—approximately 200 waste trucks are expected to be moving to and from the site every day—to flood risks to odors and the negative health effects of airborne pollutants. Many residents thought the landfill would be an eyesore.
"You have some nice communities around this area and I just don't see how this could be a positive thing for any community," Rolling Fork resident Jane Wolfe said.
Rivette said the project was determined a "non-impact" by the Harris County Flood Control District after a detailed review. He also told attendees that property values should not be affected by the expansion, given that the landfill itself already exists.
"There is no reason to believe anything proposed would alter the trajectory of what's going on in the neighborhood," he said.
Rivette assured residents that strict regulations are in place to monitor noise, dust and pollutants to make sure none of them exceed permissible levels.
The Oct. 23 meeting was the last opportunity for residents to submit formal comments, TCEQ representatives said. TCEQ will provide written responses for each individual comment before moving forward.
People who formally opposed the landfill have the power to file a contested case within 30 days of receiving a written response. If a contested case is filed—which TCEQ officials acknowledge is very likely—a judge will be set to hear arguments from both sides and determine whether the landfill expansion should be allowed to move forward as is, if some details should be adjusted, or if the project should be stopped entirely.
