State Representative Charles Cunningham has introduced HB1093. The bill would ensure cleanup of abandoned sand mines in the San Jacinto watershed. It requires miners to post a bond that covers cleanup costs. So, if an irresponsible miner walks away from a mine before reclamation, the public doesn’t have to pay the deadbeat’s costs.
A bond is like an insurance policy that guarantees the performance of obligations.
Without a bond, miners who profited for years from a mine can simply walk away when they are done mining, foisting cleanup costs onto the public or leaving blight behind.
How Bad Is the Problem?
Right now, there are at least six mines on the East and West Forks of the San Jacinto that were left a mess. Such abandoned sand mines are increasingly becoming a blight that imperils water quality in Lake Houston, the source of drinking water for 2 million people.
Rusting equipment leaks poisons and poses safety problems.
Un-stabilized soil increases rates of erosion and contributes to flooding.
Steep banks in pits slump away in slabs threatening neighboring properties and businesses.
Blight reduces surrounding property values and business activity
Miners are supposed to remove equipment and structures before they abandon a mine. But not all do. See the pictures below.
Leaking equipment near Riverview Drive in Porter on West Fork. Google Earth images show thisin same location since 2008.Dredge abandoned in Humble mine in 2017.Abandoned excavator in Porter mine on West ForkAbandoned dredge in Plum Grove mine.Abandoned processing equipment in Humble mine.Abandoned processing equipment and vehicle in Humble mine since 2017.
Miners are also obligated to grade and stabilize soil before they leave a mine, then replant vegetation similar to the surrounding area to reduce sediment pollution. But not all do.
Ungraded, un-stabilized soil in East Fork Plum Grove Mine.Ungraded soil and abandoned equipment in East Fork MineA flood later swept through the mine above, sending sediment down the East Fork.Defunct sand pit in Humble. Steep slopes – ungraded and unvegetated – erode and threaten neighboring business.
Community Consequences
Most sand moves during storms. This island appeared after Hurricane Harvey between Humble and Kingwood. It blocked the West Fork by 90%, according to the Army Corps and contributed to the flooding of thousands of homes and businesses.Confluence of the San Jacinto West Fork with Spring Creek. Images taken on different days from different angles, but in each case the dirty water comes from the West Fork, where we have 20 square miles of mines on a 20 mile stretch of the river between I-45 and I-69.
Most responsible miners will clean up on their own. But experience shows, a few bad apples will not. And when they walk away, the cost to the public can be enormous. Dredging costs alone have exceeded $226 million in the Lake Houston area since Harvey.
How You Can Help
Please help reduce this and related cleanup costs in the future. Ensure that sand miners don’t pass their remediation costs on to taxpayers.
Make sure HB1093 at least gets to the House floor for a vote this year.
The committee will likely recommend King’s HB10. It will fund the creation of 7-million acre-feet of new water supplies for rural areas.
Let’s do something that won’t cost taxpayers a penny to protect a water supply we already have. Support HB1093. And please forward this link to all your friends, family and neighbors.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/18/23
2027 Days after Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/20200306-RJR_9442.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2023-03-18 09:23:232023-03-18 09:53:52Urgent Request: Support HB1093 to Improve Water Quality, Reduce Flooding, Save Tax Dollars
Today, it wasn’t Republicans vs. Democrats. It was humans helping humans. And how refreshing it was!
86-Year Old, Mobility-Challenged Woman Gets New Home, New Life
Texas General Land Office (GLO) Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and her staff gathered to turn over the keys to the newly rebuilt home of Earnestine Henry. Ms. Henry is an 86-year old African-American great grandmother who relies on a wheelchair and walker to get around. Hurricane Harvey displaced her from the 79-year old home she owned for 50 years.
Neighbors, friends and family – the entire street – all joined in the festivities. It was the 1000th such home that the GLO built in Houston and Harris County in the last two years.
When Commissioner Buckingham gave Ms. Henry a bouquet of flowers as a housewarming gift, Ms. Henry began to cry tears of joy.
Henry left, Buckingham right.
Then, the deeply religious Henry threw up her arm and went silent for a second.
Finally, she shouted “Thank you, Lord.”
She was so overcome with emotion that Commissioner Buckingham reached out to steady her in case she started to fall.
The room went silent as she sobbed and dried her tears. Everyone else dried theirs, too, including seasoned journalists. Yes, even I sniffled.
Then Ms. Henry flashed a beatific smile. The gracious and grateful octogenarian then took her guests on a tour of her new home as she thanked all the GLO staff in attendance.
She never thought she would recover from Harveyand couldn’t believe her beautiful new surroundings.
Before/After Photos
Here’s what the home looked like before the rebuild.
And here’s what it looked like today, including the handicapped ramp. All homes built through the GLO’s Homeowner Assistance plan meet the needs of the residents with mobility challenges. Not only is the homeowner’s investment protected, their safety is as well.
Ms. Henry had originally applied to the City of Houston for help after Harvey, but reportedly never heard back. Her daughter and granddaughter helped her reapply to the GLO when the GLO took over the program in 2021.
Better, Safer
JW Turner Construction built the new home, which is fully code compliant and energy efficient. The rebuild happened as part of the GLO’s Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP).
In accordance with federal law and City of Houston codes, new homes located in a flood plain are elevated to 2 feet above base flood elevation.
Property Values Increase, but Not Taxes
On average, homes rebuilt through the Homeowner Assistance Program increase the value of the property by more than $85,765. To address concerns about increased property taxes, in 2019 the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 812 to protect homeowners from drastic increases after the GLO reconstructs homes.
The GLO’s Homeowner Assistance Program reaches the hardest hit, low- and moderate-income, vulnerable families and individuals.
1000th Rebuild Part of a Continuing Effort
Of all approved applicants, nearly 90 percent identify as Black or Hispanic. 89 percent are considered low-to-moderate income. And 63 percent make less than 30 percent of the area median income.
The GLO currently has another 1000 homes under construction in the Houston area.
“No other state or territory has performed like Texas in the recovery from Harvey,” said Buckingham. “A large part of that credit goes to the GLO. In two years, GLO has rebuilt 18 times as many homes as Houston and Harris County combined.”
“Texas stands to lose billions of available federal disaster recovery dollars if we do not use them before they expire in August 2026,” she added.
“Programs administered by the GLO in assisting the poorest Texans have significantly outperformed the federal requirement,” said Buckingham. 80% of GLO disaster recovery funds help those most in need, even though the US Department of Housing and Urban Development only requires 70%.
Buckingham, upper right, applauds her team and contractors who commemorated the occasionwith Ms. Henry.
Thank you, Lord, for people like Ms. Henry and all the others above. They remind us that we’re all in this together.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/16/2023
2025 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/20230316-RJR_1258.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2023-03-16 20:45:152023-03-17 08:48:58“Thank You, Lord!” and “Thank You, GLO!”
Yesterday morning at a joint press conference, the Texas General Land Office and Harris County Commissioners pledged to work more closely together to speed up flood mitigation. But four hours later, a chaotic 90-minute discussion in Commissioners Court made me wonder whether the rapprochement would ever bear fruit. At risk: $750 million.
Almost 22 months after the Texas General Land Office (GLO) requested $750 million from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Harris County Harvey flood mitigation, County Commissioners still haven’t agreed among themselves on which projects to support.
That’s important because GLO must determine that any proposed plan meets HUD requirements before the County can begin spending money…half of which must be spent in the next 33 months.
Harris County must spend all funds by August 31, 2027 and 50% by December 31, 2025.
Harris County Community Services Department
Given how things have gone so far, I’m beginning to wonder about those deadlines. However, hope remains. Read on.
County, GLO Pledge Cooperation
At a joint press conference early on 3/14/23 that featured four Harris County Commissioners and the new GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, Buckingham emphasized the need for speed. In an effort to mend the GLO’s relationship with Harris County, Buckingham also pledged to work more closely with the county to help speed things up. To hear the entire 15-minute press conference, click here.
One of Buckingham’s top priorities is improving communication with local leaders to expedite funds available to benefit local residents.
Joint Press Conference: Thao Costis, Interim Executive Director of CSD; Dr. Tina Petersen, Executive Director HCFCD; Lesley Briones, Precinct 4; Dawn Buckingham MD, GLO Commissioner; Adrian Garcia, Precinct 2; Tom Ramsey PE, Precinct 3; Rodney Ellis, Precinct 1; and Christian Menefee, County Attorney.
History of Grant
The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) had projects that met the current HUD criteria for hazard mitigation funds back in 2020.
Most just weren’t competitive with other areas’ requests given the rules in the first round of statewide competition. But we’re in a different situation now. After getting so little in Round One, the GLO requested a $750 million allocation to Harris County in May 2021.
Shortly after that, Judge Hidalgo, Commissioner Adrian Garcia and Commissioner Rodney Ellis assigned planning responsibilities to the County’s Community Services Department (CSD) instead of HCFCD. But both organizations have had several changes in leadership since then. CSD has had a total of six different directors under Hidalgo so far.
It’s hard to get up much speed in a revolving door. So instead of a plan, we’ve gotten excuses.
“We’re working on it.” “We’ll have that for you in September.” “…in October.” “Before the end of the year.” “Definitely in February.” “Final plan in March.” Now it’s April!
Outline of Plan Approved Without Projects
Yesterday, Commissioners Court actually agreed on a high-level outline of the plan – but without any projects or partners defined.
CSD Interim Director Thao Costis proposed a confusing scoring matrix for potential projects and a spending breakdown that included:
$97.5 million for administration and planning
$502.5 million for 2018 Flood Control Bond Projects
$100 million for Partnership Projects
$50 million for Other County Flood Mitigation Projects.
That increased HCFCD’s allocation compared to her last presentation.
And as soon as discussion on the outline began, Commissioners started peppering it with amendments – for almost 90 minutes. In the end, it finally passed, but it was difficult to tell exactly what commissioners were voting on.
So they sent staff away to compile a marked up version of one section – partnership requirements – that reflected numerous changes requested by all commissioners. They brought the marked up version back several hours later and commissioners voted to replace the original partner section they had just approved with the marked up version. But as of this instant, the County Clerk still has not published the text of the final approved version. Good luck to the County Clerk.
Partnership Criteria Refined in Meeting
Re: partnerships, at Commissioner Ramsey’s request, the Court expanded the list of eligible entities beyond municipalities. It now includes MUDs, Public Improvement Districts, School Districts, Public Transit Providers, Economic Development Corporations, TIRZs, Management Districts and Public Ports located within Harris County.
Commissioners also preliminarily approved an amended list of draft criteria for partnership projects. According to Commissioner Ramsey’s staff, they include:
Preliminary engineering must be complete or almost so.
If right of way is needed, the applicant must already own it.
Applicants must adopt the minimum standards for communities in Harris County.
Projects can range in size from $3 – $20 million.
Partners must agree to cover all cost overruns.
Projects will be graded on:
Readiness
Percent of low-to-moderate income population
Efficiency (a combination of cost per person and cost per structure benefitted)
Ancillary benefits, i.e., protection of hospitals, schools, etc.
Partner’s contribution as percent of total project cost.
Next Steps
CSD will develop an application form for partners. Then:
CSD will invite potential partners to a workshop outlining requirements for any deal.
Potential partners must submit applications.
A consultant will score all applications and develop partnership recommendations.
CSD must publish the results and invite public comment.
Commissioners, GLO and HUD must approve projects before work can begin.
All that could take years that we don’t have.
Given the uncertainty surrounding the partner application process (which hasn’t even started yet), it’s hard to see how anyone could develop a definitive project list by April 4th, the next commissioner’s court meeting. Hats off to CSD’s Interim Director Costis if she can do it.
Frankly, the chaotic discussion surrounding the $750 million yesterday bewildered me. It was a civics lesson in the value of Robert’s Rules of Order.
The free-for-all starts at about 2:47:09 into the meeting video and goes for almost 90 minutes. Given how long it has taken to get this far and all the steps still ahead, one wonders about the county’s ability to make the final deadline.
Rays of Hope
At the press conference Tuesday morning, GLO offered to work more closely with CSD to compress timelines. Commissioners appeared to welcome the idea.
The GLO also mentioned that more funding might be possible for flood mitigation. However, Commissioner Buckingham could not give a specific figure.
As Harvey disaster relief efforts wind down, the GLO will roll any unused money into flood mitigation, so that it doesn’t have to return to Washington.
The difference between the two buckets? Disaster relief funds go to individuals for repairing damage from past floods. Flood mitigation funds go to governmententities for reducingfuture flooding.
More about the status of disaster relief in a future post. The GLO will hold another press conference in Harris County Thursday on disaster relief efforts.
Posted by Bob Rehakon March 15, 2023
2024 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/20230314-RJR_1205.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2023-03-15 12:10:332023-03-15 16:59:29$750 Million May Be Swirling the Drain
Urgent Request: Support HB1093 to Improve Water Quality, Reduce Flooding, Save Tax Dollars
State Representative Charles Cunningham has introduced HB1093. The bill would ensure cleanup of abandoned sand mines in the San Jacinto watershed. It requires miners to post a bond that covers cleanup costs. So, if an irresponsible miner walks away from a mine before reclamation, the public doesn’t have to pay the deadbeat’s costs.
A bond is like an insurance policy that guarantees the performance of obligations.
Without a bond, miners who profited for years from a mine can simply walk away when they are done mining, foisting cleanup costs onto the public or leaving blight behind.
How Bad Is the Problem?
Right now, there are at least six mines on the East and West Forks of the San Jacinto that were left a mess. Such abandoned sand mines are increasingly becoming a blight that imperils water quality in Lake Houston, the source of drinking water for 2 million people.
Miners are supposed to remove equipment and structures before they abandon a mine. But not all do. See the pictures below.
Miners are also obligated to grade and stabilize soil before they leave a mine, then replant vegetation similar to the surrounding area to reduce sediment pollution. But not all do.
Community Consequences
Most responsible miners will clean up on their own. But experience shows, a few bad apples will not. And when they walk away, the cost to the public can be enormous. Dredging costs alone have exceeded $226 million in the Lake Houston area since Harvey.
How You Can Help
Please help reduce this and related cleanup costs in the future. Ensure that sand miners don’t pass their remediation costs on to taxpayers.
Make sure HB1093 at least gets to the House floor for a vote this year.
In the last session, a similar bill by former Representative Dan Huberty, HB4478, never made it out of the Natural Resources committee.
HB1093 deserves a hearing. Please write the chair and vice chair of Natural Resources asking them to consider it.
The committee will likely recommend King’s HB10. It will fund the creation of 7-million acre-feet of new water supplies for rural areas.
Let’s do something that won’t cost taxpayers a penny to protect a water supply we already have. Support HB1093. And please forward this link to all your friends, family and neighbors.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/18/23
2027 Days after Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
“Thank You, Lord!” and “Thank You, GLO!”
Today, it wasn’t Republicans vs. Democrats. It was humans helping humans. And how refreshing it was!
86-Year Old, Mobility-Challenged Woman Gets New Home, New Life
Texas General Land Office (GLO) Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and her staff gathered to turn over the keys to the newly rebuilt home of Earnestine Henry. Ms. Henry is an 86-year old African-American great grandmother who relies on a wheelchair and walker to get around. Hurricane Harvey displaced her from the 79-year old home she owned for 50 years.
Neighbors, friends and family – the entire street – all joined in the festivities. It was the 1000th such home that the GLO built in Houston and Harris County in the last two years.
When Commissioner Buckingham gave Ms. Henry a bouquet of flowers as a housewarming gift, Ms. Henry began to cry tears of joy.
Then, the deeply religious Henry threw up her arm and went silent for a second.
Finally, she shouted “Thank you, Lord.”
She was so overcome with emotion that Commissioner Buckingham reached out to steady her in case she started to fall.
The room went silent as she sobbed and dried her tears. Everyone else dried theirs, too, including seasoned journalists. Yes, even I sniffled.
Then Ms. Henry flashed a beatific smile. The gracious and grateful octogenarian then took her guests on a tour of her new home as she thanked all the GLO staff in attendance.
Before/After Photos
Here’s what the home looked like before the rebuild.
And here’s what it looked like today, including the handicapped ramp. All homes built through the GLO’s Homeowner Assistance plan meet the needs of the residents with mobility challenges. Not only is the homeowner’s investment protected, their safety is as well.
Ms. Henry had originally applied to the City of Houston for help after Harvey, but reportedly never heard back. Her daughter and granddaughter helped her reapply to the GLO when the GLO took over the program in 2021.
Better, Safer
JW Turner Construction built the new home, which is fully code compliant and energy efficient. The rebuild happened as part of the GLO’s Homeowner Assistance Program (HAP).
Property Values Increase, but Not Taxes
On average, homes rebuilt through the Homeowner Assistance Program increase the value of the property by more than $85,765. To address concerns about increased property taxes, in 2019 the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 812 to protect homeowners from drastic increases after the GLO reconstructs homes.
The GLO’s Homeowner Assistance Program reaches the hardest hit, low- and moderate-income, vulnerable families and individuals.
1000th Rebuild Part of a Continuing Effort
Of all approved applicants, nearly 90 percent identify as Black or Hispanic. 89 percent are considered low-to-moderate income. And 63 percent make less than 30 percent of the area median income.
The GLO currently has another 1000 homes under construction in the Houston area.
“No other state or territory has performed like Texas in the recovery from Harvey,” said Buckingham. “A large part of that credit goes to the GLO. In two years, GLO has rebuilt 18 times as many homes as Houston and Harris County combined.”
“Texas stands to lose billions of available federal disaster recovery dollars if we do not use them before they expire in August 2026,” she added.
“Programs administered by the GLO in assisting the poorest Texans have significantly outperformed the federal requirement,” said Buckingham. 80% of GLO disaster recovery funds help those most in need, even though the US Department of Housing and Urban Development only requires 70%.
Thank you, Lord, for people like Ms. Henry and all the others above. They remind us that we’re all in this together.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/16/2023
2025 Days since Hurricane Harvey
$750 Million May Be Swirling the Drain
Yesterday morning at a joint press conference, the Texas General Land Office and Harris County Commissioners pledged to work more closely together to speed up flood mitigation. But four hours later, a chaotic 90-minute discussion in Commissioners Court made me wonder whether the rapprochement would ever bear fruit. At risk: $750 million.
Almost 22 months after the Texas General Land Office (GLO) requested $750 million from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Harris County Harvey flood mitigation, County Commissioners still haven’t agreed among themselves on which projects to support.
That’s important because GLO must determine that any proposed plan meets HUD requirements before the County can begin spending money…half of which must be spent in the next 33 months.
Given how things have gone so far, I’m beginning to wonder about those deadlines. However, hope remains. Read on.
County, GLO Pledge Cooperation
At a joint press conference early on 3/14/23 that featured four Harris County Commissioners and the new GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, Buckingham emphasized the need for speed. In an effort to mend the GLO’s relationship with Harris County, Buckingham also pledged to work more closely with the county to help speed things up. To hear the entire 15-minute press conference, click here.
One of Buckingham’s top priorities is improving communication with local leaders to expedite funds available to benefit local residents.
History of Grant
The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) had projects that met the current HUD criteria for hazard mitigation funds back in 2020.
Most just weren’t competitive with other areas’ requests given the rules in the first round of statewide competition. But we’re in a different situation now. After getting so little in Round One, the GLO requested a $750 million allocation to Harris County in May 2021.
Shortly after that, Judge Hidalgo, Commissioner Adrian Garcia and Commissioner Rodney Ellis assigned planning responsibilities to the County’s Community Services Department (CSD) instead of HCFCD. But both organizations have had several changes in leadership since then. CSD has had a total of six different directors under Hidalgo so far.
It’s hard to get up much speed in a revolving door. So instead of a plan, we’ve gotten excuses.
“We’re working on it.” “We’ll have that for you in September.” “…in October.” “Before the end of the year.” “Definitely in February.” “Final plan in March.” Now it’s April!
Outline of Plan Approved Without Projects
Yesterday, Commissioners Court actually agreed on a high-level outline of the plan – but without any projects or partners defined.
CSD Interim Director Thao Costis proposed a confusing scoring matrix for potential projects and a spending breakdown that included:
That increased HCFCD’s allocation compared to her last presentation.
And as soon as discussion on the outline began, Commissioners started peppering it with amendments – for almost 90 minutes. In the end, it finally passed, but it was difficult to tell exactly what commissioners were voting on.
So they sent staff away to compile a marked up version of one section – partnership requirements – that reflected numerous changes requested by all commissioners. They brought the marked up version back several hours later and commissioners voted to replace the original partner section they had just approved with the marked up version. But as of this instant, the County Clerk still has not published the text of the final approved version. Good luck to the County Clerk.
Partnership Criteria Refined in Meeting
Re: partnerships, at Commissioner Ramsey’s request, the Court expanded the list of eligible entities beyond municipalities. It now includes MUDs, Public Improvement Districts, School Districts, Public Transit Providers, Economic Development Corporations, TIRZs, Management Districts and Public Ports located within Harris County.
Commissioners also preliminarily approved an amended list of draft criteria for partnership projects. According to Commissioner Ramsey’s staff, they include:
Next Steps
CSD will develop an application form for partners. Then:
All that could take years that we don’t have.
Given the uncertainty surrounding the partner application process (which hasn’t even started yet), it’s hard to see how anyone could develop a definitive project list by April 4th, the next commissioner’s court meeting. Hats off to CSD’s Interim Director Costis if she can do it.
Frankly, the chaotic discussion surrounding the $750 million yesterday bewildered me. It was a civics lesson in the value of Robert’s Rules of Order.
The free-for-all starts at about 2:47:09 into the meeting video and goes for almost 90 minutes. Given how long it has taken to get this far and all the steps still ahead, one wonders about the county’s ability to make the final deadline.
Rays of Hope
At the press conference Tuesday morning, GLO offered to work more closely with CSD to compress timelines. Commissioners appeared to welcome the idea.
The GLO also mentioned that more funding might be possible for flood mitigation. However, Commissioner Buckingham could not give a specific figure.
As Harvey disaster relief efforts wind down, the GLO will roll any unused money into flood mitigation, so that it doesn’t have to return to Washington.
The difference between the two buckets? Disaster relief funds go to individuals for repairing damage from past floods. Flood mitigation funds go to government entities for reducing future flooding.
More about the status of disaster relief in a future post. The GLO will hold another press conference in Harris County Thursday on disaster relief efforts.
Posted by Bob Rehak on March 15, 2023
2024 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.