30/12/2024
Critical Call for Protest Requested
A critical call for Lee County residents to protest Break It Down LLC from putting one of their composting locations on a parcel of land in Lincoln. Protests must be submitted BY JANUARY 2nd. The critical call is for everyone in Lee County to make a protest against the facility by going to the TCEQ’s website. An ad entitled STOP THE SLOP is found on page B1 of this week’s paper with two QR codes that can be scanned with your smart phone. The QR code labeled “Join the Fight” will take you to a website (citizensofleecotx.com) where you can scroll down slightly and click “to oppose...” The other QR code will take you directly to the TCEQ website where you can comment online. Please put in permit # 47084 where indicated and you will be directed to the area where you can submit your comments to TCEQ, protesting the facility in Lee County.
If you want to sign a protest in person, forms are available all around the county, but time is of the essence! The forms can be found at the following locations: In Lexington at Ed’s Garage and at Lexington Feed and Farm; in Giddings at Goodson Voight, Grimes Feed, Lopez Auto, Ronny’s Tire, Giddings Library, Carmine Feed, B&B Auto and Walch Store; in Dime Box at Prosperity Bank, the lumber yard and Barefoot’s Grocery; in Rockdale at Tractor Supply, NAPA and Rockdale General Store; and at the Thorndale Meat Market. Please sign the forms before Thursday morning, January 2, 2025. Someone will be hand carrying the signed forms to TCEQ in Austin on Thursday.
Residents learned about the intention of Break It Down LLC to operate their new facility just a few weeks ago after a letter was sent to those living near the proposed site received a notice from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Lee County Judge Frank Malinak III wrote in a press release he issued, “The notice detailed that material to be received at that location will be ‘meat, fish, dead animal carcasses, oil, grease, dairy materials, yard trimmings, clean wood, vegetative materials, paper and manure from commercial, municipal and institutional sources.’”
The Judge, like hundreds more in Lee County, is against this business coming to Lee County. “Let me be blunt,” Judge Malinak said, “This composting facility will bring in rotten food and slop from Austin area restaurants, and goodness knows what else, dumped in our county, possibly daily, by a company being paid to get rid of big city waste. Our area residents living in the vicinity will have to deal with the stink of putrefying meat and animal carcasses, and all that comes with this mess.”
He and the others are also concerned about potential storm water runoff polluting the Yegua Creek, which feeds into Lake Somerville, the main source of water for the City of Brenham in Washington County. Washington County’s Commissioners’ Court have approved and signed a Resolution against Break It Down’s plans to put a facility in Lee County, just as Lee County’s Court did in early December.
Over 400 people attended a meeting in Lincoln held on December 12. KBTX television out of Bryan did a story on the meeting and met the next week with Judge Malinak, Eric Hjorth, his wife, and Annie Bolognino, who own property near the proposed facility, for a follow up report on the proposed facility.
Break It Down has a troubled history in the Austin area, having been investigated by TCEQ a number of times, and having had to pay fines for shortcomings on their part. Residents in Austin have reported unbearable odors emanating from their facilities. The foul smells can travel miles and cause nausea, headaches and respiratory problems, according to one of emails the Leader received from those opposing Break It Down. Other concerns of local citizens include the potential of increased vermin and decreased property values.
In the end, Hjorth repeated what Judge Malinak said in the KBTX interviews and at the local meetings, “There will be no benefit to Lee County if this company is allowed to build their compost facility here.”
Please protest at your earliest convenience, but NO LATER THAN JANUARY 2, 2025.
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