Solid Waste Compost Facility Takes Center Stage At Sealy City Council [VIDEO]

The big topic at the Sealy City Council Meeting Tuesday night was the solid waste compost facility proposed to be built in Austin County by SouthWaste Disposal, LLC, from Houston.  The City of Sealy’s representatives were in attendance when the facility was first brought to public attention at the special meeting of Austin County Commissioners Court on February 12, 2016.  (You can watch the video of this first meeting and our earlier article by clicking HERE)  

The city council had before them a resolution that stated:

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEALY, TEXAS, OPPOSING TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (TCEQ) PROPOSED PERMIT NUMBER 2388, APPLICATION AND INTENT TO OBTAIN NEW MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE PERMIT, BY SOUTHWASTE DISPOSAL. LLC, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS

Austin County Judge Tim Lapham was also present for the meeting and spoke to the council saying that the county was against the facility and that any efforts by the City of Sealy to help stop the facility would be greatly appreciated by the county.  Mayor Mark Stolarski said that he and City Manager Larry Kuciemba had both attended the San Felipe and Brazos Country’s City Council Meetings that had been held earlier last week and that they had passed similar resolutions against the facility. 

Former Mayor Johnny Williams from Brazos Country was also on hand and was asked to come forward to speak.  He informed the council of their resolution, which he stated had been forwarded earlier to the council members before the meeting.  He stated that they are hopeful that the TCEQ will kill the permit before the facility gets much further in its development. 

Warren Escovy the City of Sealy’s Director of planning and Community Development then rose to give his findings on the proposed facility.  He and a fellow City of Sealy employee traveled to San Antonio last Thursday to view a similar facility that SouthWaste Disposal, LLC runs there.  They took video of the facility as well as the surrounding area and he explained what they found, and smelled, as the council watched the video (their video can be viewed at 00:03:23 to 00:07:15 of the video below).

He said that they were given permission to video on the actual facility premises by the management.  The video started at one mile from the facility and then progressively got closer until finally ending with a view of the facility from inside.  There was no odor or noise detected by them one mile from the facility but, once they entered the facility the odor became quite strong.  The company does use “all natural” products but, even with all natural products Mr. Escovy said the odor was still quite strong.

Larry Kuciemba stated that he had been in dialogue with Texas Senator Lois Kolkhorst’s office as well as U.S. Representative Michael McCaul’s office.  Kolkhorst said that it was important that as many entities as possible impacted by the facility should go on record with their feelings of it and request a public hearing from the TCEQ to be held ASAP.  Texas Representative Leighton Schubert’s office gave similar and concurring advice.  U.S Representative  McCaul’s office was concerned and offered support but, the fact that this is a state issue and not federal takes them pretty much out of the equation.   

The resolution was passed unanimously by the council.

This section of the meeting can be watched in the video below including the tour taken of a similar facility operated in the San Antonio area.