From the Stephenville Empire-Tribune

Even more disturbing to locals was the outcome of a June 26 public meeting where representatives of Liberty, including an environmental consultant, and a slew of representatives of the TCEQ turned out to address questions, comments and concerns of those living near the plant. The residents claim neither the TCEQ nor Liberty addressed their issues and concerns and avoided the most pressing questions.

“What I witnessed at the public meeting was what appeared to be a deliberate attempt on the part of Liberty, their environmental consultant, and the TCEQ, to avoid answering any questions presented by the citizens concerning the sand stored at the Liberty site and the potential health impact that it could have on the citizens of Bluff Dale,” Gordon said. “Both Liberty and TCEQ representatives refused to answer questions from concerned citizens as to whether the Liberty sand was crystalline silica and whether or not it was a known human carcinogen. After being pressured by a concerned citizen, the TCEQ finally admitted that crystalline silica is a known human carcinogen.”

Also at the June meeting, Liberty’s environmental consultant attempted to break the material down to kid terms, by stating the sand handled at the facility is comparable to play sand.

Gordon said he feels the TCEQ is at the root of the problem. He said many calls made by himself and Bluff Dale residents have remained unanswered. He said the problems with the agency began on day one, when the plant first opened.