Natalie Weber / Houston Public Media
More than 100 people attended a public hearing in east Fort Bend County this week to speak out against a proposed new concrete crushing facility.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) temporarily rejected a permit for the proposed concrete crushing facility in Rosharon earlier this year.
The commission sent the permit back to developer Julpit Inc. for corrections and clarifications.
During a public hearing hosted by the state’s environmental agency this week, both local officials and nearby residents made their concerns known.
One resident asked Julpit representatives about their choice of location.
Tyler Williams, a manager for the project, said the concrete crusher is the required distance from homes. Under state law, concrete crushers must be at least 440 yards from homes, schools and places of worship.
“We’re within the limitation of the distance that’s needed,” he said.
Brad Patterson, who works for the TCEQ, was the moderator for the public hearing. He said the agency doesn’t have much control over where the concrete plants are built.
“TCEQ doesn’t have any jurisdiction to force an applicant to locate or not locate in any particular spot,” he said. “Our job is to review the application (and) make sure it’s protective to human health and the environment, no matter where it’s located.”
Jincy Jose lives next to the property and believes her home may be the closest building to the proposed facility.
She said many residents oppose Julpit Inc.’s attempts to open a concrete plant in their neighborhood.
“This is just a small representation of our community,” she said. “And nobody wants Julpit to be working in our backyards.”
Another speaker, Erika Johnson, said residents would continue to fight the plant.
“Let me be clear: this is not about dust, or zoning,” she said. “This is about life and death. It’s about the moral fabric of our state. It’s about whether we as a society still believe that the health and dignity of people should come before the profits of corporations.”
Several public officials also attended the meeting and voiced their opposition to the plant, including Fort Bend County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson. Fort Bend County has taken action to ask the TCEQ to reject concrete crushing facilities’ air quality permits.
“We understand that there’s a need for business in this community, but there’s also a need to balance the safety and welfare of our residents,” Smith-Lawson said during the hearing.
The state’s environmental agency has 30 days to approve or deny the permit.
Great Job & the Team @ Houston Public Media Source link for sharing this story.
