View the following TNRCC documents regarding the TNRCC's investigation regarding violations at BFI's Tessman Road Landfill.  These reported violations are the product of a fire that occurred at the landfill in July of 2001.  The 4 alleged violations are:

• Failure to comply with the prohibitions of open burning.
  • Violation caused by spontaneous fire at the landfill.
• Failure to provide appropriate access control.
  • Violation caused by leaving the landfill unattended and unlocked.
• Failure to provide in the Site Operating Plan a detailed description of the procedures that the operating personnel shall follow concerning the operational requirements of 30 Tex Admin Code ch. 330, subchapter F.
  • Violation caused by the lack of written instruction for landfill personnel regarding the steps for handling a fire at the landfill as well as gate security.
• Failure to meet all requirements of applicable New Source Performance Standards.
  • Violation caused by incomplete records regarding the flammable gas collection system at the landfill.  Furthermore records show that the flammable gas collection system was not properly maintained and operated in excess of operational parameters.

Click on the thumbnails to view the TNRCC document.
     

Why does this bother me as a resident?  Let me explain my concerns.

• A spontaneous fire that caught the landfill personnel by surprise  worries me in that either the landfill is accepting flammable materials that they are unaware of -or- that landfill personnel are put on the job without proper training.  (And in this case it looks like we have both)
• This is the second fire that we know about.
• Landfills emit large amounts of flammable gas.  While most modern landfills have gas collection systems, no system can collect 100% of the landfill gases.  At best, industry claims, 60-80% of the gas is collected with the remaining amount escaping into the air.  Now consider that according to the TNRCC, the gas collection system hasn't been operated properly and records are incomplete.
• According to BFI's own manager, the Tessman Road Landfill generates enough flammable gas to sustain a small electrical generating plant.  That's a lot of gas.

So lets think about that.  We have a landfill that has had a spontaneous fire and whose flammable gas collection system has not been operated properly.  Additionally landfill personnel aren't properly informed on the procedures to handle a fire.  In my opinion this is too sloppy and is an accident waiting to happen.

If this isn't bad enough--I urge you to track these violations and see if BFI is able to use their legal muscle to remove these from the record.