The Hill Country Fellowship Church auditorium was filled to near-capacity during an official state meeting held there earlier this week to discuss the proposed permit for a new rock crusher quarry in Burnet County.
More than 100 local residents unanimously spoke in opposition to plans for Construction Partners Inc. and Asphalt Inc. to build a rock crusher quarry north of the Burnet city limit in Hoover Valley at 3221 FM 3509.
State Rep. Ellen Troxclair (HD-19) attended the public gathering Dec.10 in Burnet at 200 Houston Drive. Texas State Rep. Brad Buckley (HD-54) and State Sen. Pete Flores (SD-24) reportedly had representative from their office in attendance.
Troxclair addressed the crowd before the long meeting got underway.
“As you can tell by turnout, it (the permit) is a grave concern,” Troxclair said. “(Private) property rights are important, but they don’t come at the expense of yours.”
Currently, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is the review the quarry applica- tion number 176835.
During the four-hour meeting, one six-member panel appeared on the auditorium stage to hear and record the thoughts of more than 100 speakers unanimously declare their opposition to the quarry.
The panel included Ben Liggett from Asphalt Inc., Melissa Fitts, the aggregate company’s environmental consultant and TCEQ representatives Contessa Gay, Katherine Keithley, Joe Nicosia and Anna Nugent.
The session was divided into one informal and one formal comment period.
The brief informal period included questions and answers between attendees and the panel, with no comment recorded for TCEQ commissioners in Austin.
During the informal period, Fitts mentioned, “Asphalt Inc. is committed to being a responsible neighbor.”
Also, Liggett noted, the prospective quarry would never crush recycled concrete.
However, during the rest of the informal period, the panel members said little else to assure the overwhelming majority of speakers, as they admitted there would be dynamite blasting on the quarry site and currently, no air monitors are installed at the site, nor does Asphalt possess any study related to local rain water collection.
The much longer formal period allowed attendees to speak for two minutes, followed by no response from panel members. Yet, moderator Deanna Avalos assured speakers their comments would be recorded and forwarded to TCEQ commissioners.
The long array of speakers included eloquent residents of all ages, grown men and women and at least one child from all walks of life in Burnet County.
Not one speaker indicated his or her support for the quarry. All voiced opposition to the quarry because, in their view, it operations would create a whirlwind of toxic dust, noise, choke local streets with excessive traffic and produce serious, irreversible damage to the local economy, environment and general health.
“It is a crying shame the Burnet County government has no authority over things like this,” County Judge James Oakley said.
Burnet County Commissioner Pct. 1 Jim Luther Jr. told TCEQ representatives to pay more attention to the current state of groundwater wells in the county, which are currently struggling to produce enough water for homes, ranches and livestock.
The groundwater situation “is not rosy,” Luther said.
“It should be a requirement for you folks (on the panel) to live next to a quarry, so you could see and feel the concerns we have,” he added. “I opposed the (proposed) quarry. Put it somewhere else. Make it go away.”
Attorney Justin Schrader told the panel dust particles generated by the quarry could generate cancer for adults and children.
“No dust suppression system can stop it,” Schrader said. “Everyone in this area would be exposed to asbestos. I urge, I beg you, to think again about this transaction.”
Retired lawyer Larry Black did not bother to repress his hostility to the quarry.
“We will defeat you,” he told the panel.
Jane Kelly Martin indicated quarry dust released into the atmosphere would aggravate her medical condition.
“Pollutants in the air would hurt me, but that is what you would do to me and to everybody in this room,” Martin said.
Perhaps the youngest speaker was elementary school-aged Abby Shelburne. Although tiny in physical size compared to grownups, her voice sounded very articulate, beyond her obvious youth.
Shelburne indicated the new quarry would threaten the well-being of Camp Longhorn, one of the most popular recreational centers in Burnet County.
“The constant grinding of machines at the quarry and dust in your lungs would mean the end of safe outdoor activity at Camp Longhorn and threaten most of the best things I know about Camp Longhorn,” Shelburne said.
Myra Allen Habbit, owner of the Country Oaks assisted living center predicted air particles generated by the quarry would cause coughing shortness of breath and wheezing among her residents and harm children at the nearby Little Texans Day Care Center.
“Their daily lives would be threatened,” Habbit said.
Kim Schuman voiced similar concerns related to dust and diesel exhaust emitted by as many as 25 trucks per hour transporting rock to and from the quarry.
“Go elsewhere,” she advised the panel.
While so many Burnet County citizens observe burn bans, conserve water, recycle materials and follow other conscientious practices, TCEQ is considering a permit for the quarry, Janece Rolfe stated, irony in her voice.
“Where is the common sense?” Rolfe asked the panel. “I beg you to do the right thing. Protect our Hill Country, because it is the only one we got.”
Bill McCartney offered the panel his somewhat diplomatic tone.
“I do not look at you as the enemy,” he said. “We are all Texans here. But I think you made a mistake.”
Nevertheless, McCartney added, inevitably, blasting and other quarry operations would harm the local environment.
“There is no way to operate the quarry without trucks going through Park Road 4 (near Inks Lake),” McCartney said.”It will ruin it.”
His wife Christine also questioned plans for the quarry.
“Why in the world would you want to put a quarry in the middle of a pristine, sacred, residential area,” she asked the panel.
While Fitts and Liggett showed no emotional reaction to comments, the TCEQ representatives scribbled many notes.
More speakers followed, sounding consistent concerns related to air quality and potential breathing issues.
Bill Witt predicted the quarry could harm Lake Buchanan.
“We do not need a large industry sucking our water dry,” Witt said.
George Cox said, “I don’t see why it is easy for your guys (Asphalt Inc.) to seek permit.”
“Money!” one anonymous voice shouted behind Cox.
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Cox replied.
Bryan Ochoa recalled new development destroyed the Mormon Mill Pond years ago.
“If you (TCEQ) approve this permit, Camp Longhorn is probably going to fail,” he said.
John Bielmowicz said the quarry “would tend to be injurious to the entire community.”
“I used to work construction projects in other locales, including Waxahachie,” he added. “They did not build next to churches. They did not build next to schools. They did their homework.”
As the meeting drew to a close, probably, Susan Nye summed up the thoughts of many attendees.
“What is the value of one human life?” Nye asked the panel. “Think about it.”
Locals voice strident opposition to new quarry
The Hill Country Fellowship Church auditorium was filled to near-capacity during an official state meeting held there earlier this week to discuss the proposed permit for a new rock crusher quarry in Burnet County.
- 12/13/2024 04:41 AM

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