Tuesday was the big night for the city of Waco to choose the landfill location from one of four choices.
But after hundreds showed up and dozens voiced their opinions concerning why this was a mistake, that vote was delayed. Many people gave examples of why this proposal could be an environmental hazard and could potentially affect their quality of life.
Brad Holland is the chair of almost 2,000 citizens in the area who are against the Highway 84 Landfill. He said the group is not against a new landfill being created, it’s just the area they choose that poses a major concern.
“From an air safety standpoint because it’s a school bus location and close to many schools and because that’s the main corridor of our growth for all these reasons it’s a very bad location.
And some people said the proposal near Highway 84 is too close to Waco Lake it could make the water dangerous to drink.
“Putting a dump right in the headwaters to Lake Waco which is a source of our drinking water does not make sense,” said a crowd member.
In addition to the water potentially being affected, others against the proposed location said the list goes on concerning what it could affect.
Holland said building in the controversial location would mean the city council took back their word when they promised not to expand the current landfill that already exists.
“Well the city promised it would never expand in that current area in writing, in a court settlement, and that’s why all of us have built our homes out there with that promise in writing that they would never break,” Holland.
But putting the landfill near Highway 84 would break that promise. And just like Holland, hundreds of others felt the same way.
“It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that this is a bad idea,” said another crowd member.
The vote by the city council was supposed to take place Tuesday night however it has been delayed for further debate and investigation.
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