Nov 01
The Great Trash Heap
No Expanded Austin Trash Mound!
November 1st, 2007 6:28 PM
I’m a supporter of Texas Campaign for the Environment and today I got the snippet below from their mailing list. If you haven’t been following the battle that BFI (a large waste management company) and many residents of northeast Austin have been waging you’ll be glad to know that the residents and environmental activists have won. The proposed deal would have expanded the landfill 75 feet into the air. If you’ve ever driven out 290 east and seen the 90 foot high mound that is the landfill, you know how much of an eyesore (and nosesore) expanding the land fill to a massive 165 feet would be. Smells are already a complaint of the neighbors who live in nearby subdivisions like Harris Branch. In the past the state has agreed with the residents and fined BFI.
Victory on the Landfill Deal!
Thanks to an outpouring of opposition from the public, a 3-member majority of the Travis County Commissioner’s Court voted down a deal with BFI on Tuesday. The deal would have paved the way for an expansion of seven-stories of trash on top of its eight stories of trash at its problem landfill in Northeast Travis County. Commissioner Margaret Gómez joined outspoken opponents of the deal Commissioners Ron Davis and Sarah Eckhardt to reject the agreement.
You can read more about the landfill and the recent victoy here.
Travis County scuttles embattled landfill deal; Commissioner Gómez changes vote after public opposition
Travis County commissioners voted Tuesday to withdraw a deal that would have paved the way for a landfill expansion just east of Austin. (Austin American Statesman)
Travis residents rail against deal on landfill expansion
Travis County should not cut a deal with a landfill east of Austin that wants to expand, neighbors and environmental activists told county commissioners Tuesday.(Austin-American Statesman)