Now that I have been in the Texas Legislature for a few years, I have come to find that sometimes you pick your policy issues, and other times, your issues pick you. Little did I know that I would soon “dig in” to landfill policy and the politics of trash — but here we are!
Just a brief walk from my neighborhood sets you at the edge of what’s known as the Austin Community Landfill. And while it has operated for many decades, it is expected to reach maximum capacity in a few short years.
Since I was first elected in 2014, I have heard countless complaints from my constituents about enduring severe odors, pests and the inability to spend time outdoors. I have also experienced it firsthand. (As a Texan who enjoys a good backyard BBQ, I sometimes need to be mindful of when I invite guests over to the house.)
Since Waste Management began operating roughly 40 years ago, residential and business development have grown exponentially in the surrounding area. The city of Austin estimates the population of the ZIP code 78754 to hold roughly 20,000 residents this year, with no sign of stopping. By 2040, this is expected to swell to a population of 35,000.
While these projections are already eye-opening, they don’t even take into account the major businesses that encompass the region, like Samsung and Applied Materials, and their employees who work in the region each day.
So, as you may imagine, the impending closure of the landfill was a welcomed end for countless folks in the region. But rather unexpectedly last fall, Waste Management submitted an application to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to develop a transfer station onsite once the landfill reaches maximum capacity. The transfer station would allow Waste Management to indefinitely store and process municipal solid waste on-site before transferring waste to other landfills in the region.
By Waste Management’s estimates, the transfer station would receive over 669,000 tons of waste each year and create over 1,100 vehicle trips to the site each day.
Given public concern over the issue, I asked TCEQ to hold a public meeting this month to receive comment on the application. Along with other state and local officials who share my opposition to the continuation of waste processing in Northeast Travis County, we were joined by over 150 people who took time out during the workweek to attend. Many were residents of the immediate neighborhoods, but we also heard from people miles away who were firmly opposed to the application.
With a look to the future, we should not accept business as usual when it comes to issues of land use and of taking care of our Mother Earth. With the five years of life remaining at the landfill, Waste Management could instead make smart use of this time by finding more compatible land in order to propose a more advanced, state-of-the-art transfer station — one that takes into account the health and safety of my fellow Central Texans.
For the many who were not able to attend the public meeting yet want to weigh in, the public comment period is still open and folks can submit remarks on the TCEQ website or by mail. Please feel free to reach out to my office for assistance in how to submit a comment.
The transfer station is just one example of how we need to think differently about our changing Texas. With the population of our state growing an average of 1,000 people each day, we must think smarter and long-term about how we choose to manage our land and treat the environment.
Environmental issues took a back seat this last session. A half-dozen bills were filed that would have required the state to study the impact of climate change, and this was despite the tragedy of Hurricane Harvey and the future natural disasters we will surely face if we don’t act now.
We only have a short time to drastically change the way we treat our planet, and I hope my colleagues next session will join me in recognizing the urgency of this issue.
None of this is an easy battle, whether it’s as global as climate change or as local as a landfill issue. We have big companies here who hold a lot of influence. But while we don’t know in the end how it will all play out and the odds may seem against us, it is fundamental that we each make our voice heard.
Rep. Celia Israel represents House District 50, which includes Pflugerville. Follow her on Twitter @celiaisrael, or like her on Facebook at fb.com/CeliaIsraelTX.
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