December 01, 2006 02:20 pm
—
Judy Finn of Hutchins is a landowner in Limestone County.
A telephone call from the Dallas County woman revealed some illegal dumping of hazardous waste materials by a Waco-based firm, Young Brothers Contractors, which does a lot of work in the county and the entire Central Texas area.
Judy Finn told The Daily News she has repeatedly been in contact with politicians and agencies set up to address such issues as the illegal dumping. She has also been in contact with the firm which she accuses of these actions.
Another citizen in Mexia informed the newspaper that the dumping has taken place on FM 1633.
Judy has telephoned Governor Rick Perry’s office, and then sent a letter to that office, following up her call. “A company has admitted that hazardous material, oil drums, oil filters and used oil are buried on my property (in Limestone County),” and said, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) office was notified by her (in writing and phone calls),” but so far her requests for inquiries into the matter has fallen on deaf ears.
“I have been informed that Young Brothers Contractors that has admitted to the hazardous waste and is the lessee of the property, has been digging,” Zinn explained. She further accuses the firm of “digging...and trying to hide the hazardous waste before it can be located. I have ordered them to stop digging, but they have continued,” she emphasizes.
The Hutchins woman said, “In desperation, I have contacted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which informed me they are back-logged and has done nothing to date...I need help as soon as possible.”
Later, after getting no satisfaction concerning any illegal activity, Finn did receive a letter from the TCEQ that Young Brothers later agreed to “properly remove and dispose of the waste in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.” This information was contained in a letter from Locke Liddell & SAPP, LLP of Dallas, in a letter to the Hutchins resident. It was signed by Susan M. Rainey of the law firm.
In correspondence to Finn, concerning Sky High Corporation, the firm operating the quarry in Limestone County, the attorneys’ firm of Haley-Olson of Waco, noted that Sky High’s allegations say Young Contractors is responsible for creating “three hazardous waste buried sites, and most likely many more.” The Haley-Olson firm says these allegations have caused Young Contractors “to begin working with the TCEQ...by disclosing the potential situation.” Sky High was let on her property by Young Contractors, “without my knowledge,” according to Finn. FM 1633 in Thelma is the quarry’s location.
Finn expressed shock that the attorneys’ firm at Waco indicated there might be as many as three sites for illegal dumping.
Young Brothers Contractors has leased the land in question for 10 years, according to Judy Finn, who owns 90 acres in Limestone County. “The original lease was for 80 acres, and the family felt the company had taken in more land due to disappearing fencing,” she wrote to the United States EPA. Also in that piece of correspondence, Finn said, “Young Contractors was purchased by KnifeRiver Corporation...I believe it was in 2003. During the course of having the land surveyed and re-negotiating a new lease which required multiple visits to Thelma, I overheard rumors about waste being buried on our land by Young Contractors.”
Finn, during her correspondence (on several occasions) with the EPA, had this to say:
“I have demanded that Young Contractors name the parent company, KnifeRiver Corporation and subsidiaries to state their responsibility for cleanup, which they have not done. This is an effort to prevent Young Contractors from claiming bankruptcy and leaving the owner, State of Texas and taxpayers with an expensive environment mess. I also believe the lack of KnifeRiver’s claiming responsibility to be indicative of longterm knowledge of buried waste and an effort to hide that knowledge.” Finn further stated in this correspondence, “Since TCEQ has no interest in its obligation to protect and to inspect reports of hazardous waste from big corporations, and (no interest) in pollution, I am seeking help from the EPA.”
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.