A proposed concrete batch plant is drawing opposition from residents in Needville who say the facility could affect their health, homes and quality of life.
The proposed AA Concrete Ready Mix facility is seeking an air permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ. Air Alliance Houston says the plant could operate 24 hours a day, year-round.
Residents say the proposed site is about 200 yards from some homes and less than two miles from Needville High School.
Residents concerned about health, traffic
Fernando Carrion has lived on his property his entire life. His grandparents bought the land about 55 years ago.
He says he learned about the proposed plant about a month ago and immediately began organizing with neighbors.
“I barbecued yesterday,” Carrion said. “That plant was there, I wouldn’t be able to do that. Right? Because there’s going to be dust in the air. There’s going to be stuff on my roof.”
Carrion says he is especially concerned about his children, including a daughter who already has asthma.
“I feel like this is going to definitely make it worse,” he said.
Ruth Ann Hendrick, who has lived in the area for 48 years, says she and her husband are also concerned about the plant’s potential impact. The couple is in their 80s and has livestock and a pond on their property.
“We’re concerned about the pollution that’s going to be coming from this plant,” Hendrick said, pointing to the proposed 24-hour operation.
Residents also point to truck traffic in the area and the proximity of Needville High School.
The district’s superintendent says he has environmental concerns for students.
Residents say they weren’t heard at Commissioners Court
Residents traveled to Fort Bend County Commissioners Court last week hoping to speak about the proposed plant.
They say they were initially told the issue was not on the agenda. Several residents were eventually allowed to sign up under another item related to industrial development, but say they were stopped when they attempted to speak specifically about the batch plant.
Carrion says residents felt frustrated after hearing discussion on other issues, including controversy surrounding County Judge Daniel Wong.
“I felt like it was almost like, ‘Hey, we don’t want to hear y’all,’” Carrion said.
Hendrick said she was angry and disappointed.
“Angry a bit because they didn’t want to listen and sad because of what’s happening,” she said.
The Fort Bend County Attorney says she first learned about the batch plant during last week’s Commissioners Court meeting. She has requested a meeting with Commissioner Andy Myers to determine where his office is in the approval process and what information is being considered moving forward.
The residents are still waiting to find out whether the batch plant will be placed on a future Commissioners Court agenda.
TCEQ controls the air permit
While residents are seeking support from county officials, the county does not make the final decision on the plant’s air permit.
That decision falls to TCEQ.
Air Alliance Houston says the project is currently in the public-comment period. The environmental advocacy group says the proposed facility would be within one mile of nearly 140 households, with about 10 residences within a quarter mile.
The group also points to nearby schools, parks, places of worship and other sensitive locations.
Air Alliance Houston is asking TCEQ to deny the permit. If the permit is approved, the group says it wants stronger requirements, including fence-line air monitoring.
The organization also says residents should ask how much pollution the facility could emit, how close emissions and truck traffic would be to homes and sensitive sites, and how pollution controls would be monitored.
“They should also be asking, how pollution controls will be monitored and what happens when those controls fail,” an Air Alliance Houston representative said.
Public meeting still to be scheduled
TCEQ has granted a request for a public meeting on the proposed permit, but the agency has not yet announced a date or location.
Air Alliance Houston says the public-comment period will remain open until that meeting.
Residents who live especially close to the proposed facility may also have additional options during the permitting process, including requesting a contested case hearing if they meet the requirements.
For residents like Carrion and Hendrick, the fight is about more than the plant itself. They say they want the facility built somewhere that does not put homes, families and schools so close to an industrial operation.
And they say they want county leaders to hear those concerns while there is still time to act.
What happens next: TCEQ will hold a public meeting on the proposed permit, but the agency has not yet announced when or where it will be held.
Air Alliance Houston says the public-comment period will remain open until that meeting, giving residents an opportunity to voice their concerns about the proposed plant.
At the county level, it is still unclear whether the batch plant will be added to a future Commissioners Court agenda. We are waiting for an answer on if and when residents will be given an opportunity to address commissioners specifically about the project.