Two House Bills address concerns about rock quarries from Williamson County residents
The Brief
Two bills in the Texas House could shape the future of rock quarries in the state.
HB 873 would require quarry operators to develop reclamation plans for sites.
HB 1018 would create a certification process for companies that use best practices.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - As lawmakers gather at the state capitol for the legislative session, so do Central Texas farmers living next to quarries like Mark Friesenhan.
What they're saying
"It's time to start moving to the middle ground of equity for all the stakeholders involved in the APO industry," said Friesenhan.
They're calling on lawmakers to pass two bills filed by Williamson County State Representative Terry Wilson.
"Legislators, it's time," said Friesenhan. "Call us, and we'll help you."
HB 873 would tighten quarry regulations, including requiring sites to have a reclamation plan.
"What will happen to the quarry after it has lived its life as a quarry?" said Cliff Kaplan, the secretary for Texans for Responsible Aggregate Mining, or TRAM. "There's a big pit in the ground. Currently, there are no requirements that operators have to follow to plan for that eventuality."
Michael Spano, a co-founder of the Coalition Of Responsible Environmental Aggregate Mining, or CREAM, in Williamson County, is most excited about HB 1018, which would create a certification program to recognize quarry operators who follow voluntary best management practices.
"With the certification, that kind of gives them an incentive. Otherwise, it's kind of nice, or maybe we can do it, maybe the neighborhoods might ask us to do it, and you know, it's optional," said Spano.
The state would then direct TxDOT to purchase supplies from operators with the certification.
"Which is the largest buyer from that industry, because we need these construction materials to build our roads," said Kaplan.
Why you should care
Best management practices encourage responsible water consumption and help mitigate dust, which residents living near quarries have expressed concern about before
In June, a study published by CREAM showed that 60 percent of its 200 respondents had dealt with excessive dust from quarries.
"We really want them, these APOs, these quarries, these concrete batch plants to be better neighbors rather than to be looked on as invaders," said Spano.
The other side
In response, the Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association sent the following statement to Fox 7. It represents quarries across the state.
"With Texas as one of the fastest growing states in the nation, the need for aggregates, concrete and cement has never been greater.
"Our priority for the 89th legislative session is to ensure that we can continue to deliver the critical infrastructure materials required to build the roads, bridges, schools, buildings, homes and hospitals that sustain the state's unprecedented growth, in a regulatory environment that provides certainty and consistency.
"TACA continues to work diligently in the Texas House and Senate and across both sides of the aisle to ensure legislation that achieves the goal of benefitting our communities, while delivering the essential materials that all Texans rely on."
Fox 7 Austin reached out to State Rep. Terry Wilson's office multiple times but never heard back about a time for an interview.
The Source
The information in this article comes from FOX7 interviews.
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