Tuesday, 7.20.21, Harris County Commissioners will vote on a contract with Sprint Sand & Clay for excavation of a Woodridge Village detention basin. Item #21-3394 on the agenda is only for $1000, but it gives the contractor the right to enter the site and begin removing up to 500,000 cubic yards of dirt (at no cost to HCFCD) which it can then sell.
Backup provided to commissioners states that “This benefits the District because excavation and removal is always the highest cost of any stormwater detention basin that is constructed.”
Amount of excavation TBD – somewhere between 20,000 and 500,000 cubic yards, depending on plans that HCFCD will deliver to the contractor based on the outcome on an engineering study currently underway.
The contractor must properly dispose of the spoils, which it is allowed to sell to make its money on the contract.
Contractor is liable for any materials that are disposed of improperly, i.e., within Base Flood Elevation or the 500-year flood plain and must identify all disposal locations.
Time allowed: 3 years.
Termination of contract possible if contractor fails to excavate a minimum average of 5,000 cubic yards every month.
Contractor responsible for environmental mitigation if necessary, excluding wetlands.
The contractor must provide an approved Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and abide by it.
The contract outline contains the map above but does not specify the exact size, depth or location of the proposed work within the outlined area – just that it will occur in Montgomery County. Engineers will supply additional details at a later date.
Looking SE across Woodridge Village toward Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest, areas where hundreds of homes flooded badly in 2019 – twice. Photo taken May 26, 2021.
Sprint Sand and Clay is a regular contractor for HCFCD. Currently, the company is excavating the massive Cutten Detention Basin near 290, Beltway 8 and Cutten Road.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/20/21
1421 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/20210526-RJR_8313.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2021-07-19 21:34:452021-07-19 21:41:04Commissioners Vote Tuesday on Contract for Woodridge Village Detention Pond Excavation
Railroad Commission Map Shows Location of Pipelines
Screen capture from Texas Railroad Commission website shows location of natural gas pipeline (bottom) and HVL pipelines (top) in grassy utility corridor. Background satellite photo shows where headward erosion exposed NG pipeline after miners mined right up to it.
Note Caney Creek meandering to the right of the mine in the satellite image above. When the creek came out of its banks during Harvey and Imelda, it eroded that huge gash you see between the pipelines.
Recent Photo Shows Proximity of Mining to Pipelines
As you can see in the photo below, Triple PG is now mining that same area. It is excavating sand less than a tree’s width from the HVL pipelines. In the next big flood, that will make them susceptible to the same kind of erosion that exposed the natural gas pipeline in the last floods.
Looking south across the utility corridor with five HVL pipelines.Photo taken on May 26, 2021.
Similar Problems Further Up the Pipeline at Another Mine Show Danger
Further up this same pipeline corridor toward Conroe, here’s what happened at the LMI River Bend mine.
Exposed HVL pipelines at LMI River Bend Mine, photographed in January of 2020. This area has since been stabilizedbefore any of the lines ruptured.
If a similar disaster happened at the Triple PG mine and the pipelines ruptured, there would be little to keep the liquids in them from contaminating Lake Houston, the source of drinking water for 2 million people.
The Triple PG mine has a long history of questionable environmental practices. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has repeatedly cited the company for illegal discharges of industrial waste water. In 2019, the TCEQ referred the case to the Texas Attorney General for prosecution.
AG Lawsuit Stuck in Slow-Motion COVID Mode
Not much has happened in the lawsuit since then. Shortly after the AG filed the lawsuit, the Guniganti family, which owns the mine, tried to play a shell game with ownership, causing the AG to file an amended petition. Then the Gunigantis hired a new operator which also has a dubious history of compliance with the environmental regulations. The operator is Sumaiah Kurre, of Texas Frac Sand Materials Inc. at 1367 Woodcrest Drive, Houston, TX 77018.
The Texas Secretary of State lists Kurre’s name 47 times in the Texas SOS-Direct database. His name is associated with sixteen different entities in multiple capacities. Many of the entities have lost their right to do business in Texas.
Craig Pritzlaff, TCEQ’s director of Compliance and Enforcement, says the COVID crisis delayed an already complicated case, but neither the Commission, nor the AG have abandoned it. In fact, he said, the TCEQ flew over the mine today. Hopefully, a judge will hear the case soon. This case dramatizes the need for the legislature to adopt best practices for sand mining that provide better protection to the public.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/19/2021
1420 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 669 since Imelda
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/2021/07/20210526-RJR_8269.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2021-07-19 18:19:552021-07-19 18:23:29Triple PG Mines Ever Closer to HVL Pipelines
Amazon is building a new transportation center on the east side of I-69 just south of the Grand Parkway. Two months ago, this site was little more than dirt. Now, there’s a building with a roof, parking lots and detention ponds. I took all the pictures below on Sunday, 7/17/21.
Looking NNW across the future Amazon site toward the intersection of I-69 and SH99.Walls are up and the roof is on. A nice touch, from a flood-reduction point of view, is the preservation of what appear to wetlands in the foreground and other portions of the site.See the construction plans here.White Oak Creek and its floodplain (wooded area in center) form the northern boundary of the Amazon site.According to Community Impact newspaper, Amazon hopes to open the facility late this year. The site has three detention ponds, all visible in this shot, which is looking south. They are in the foreground, upper left, and near the freeway in the upper right.Looking SW across the new building and I-69.Note the big cleared area in the distance and see below.No progress since the last report in early Mayacross the highway at Signorelli’s planned medical center complex.
Amazon’s Prime Location
Amazon’s location will position the company to take advantage of growth made possible by the extension of the Grand Parkway east of I-69. A logistical bonus: the site lies less than 10 miles from Bush Intercontinental Airport.
The giant box-like structure looks like a concrete monolith from the freeway. It has all the charm of the cardboard boxes that will flow through here in a few months. But the relentless pursuit of cost-cutting makes Amazon popular, not architectural charm and uniqueness.
Community Impact says Amazon will bring about 300 full-time jobs to the Porter area, starting at $15 per hour. Amazon will open three more similar facilities in the Houston area this year.
Environment – a Fragile Package
Amazon’s relentless expansion mirrors the growth of the Houston metropolitan area itself. As a concrete jungle replaces the natural jungle, we must all remain vigilant to ensure detention ponds retain runoff in heavy rains and that wetlands are preserved. Too often, the push to pave over every square inch of property increases downstream flooding.
Development is inevitable. But flooding is not if the development is done responsibly.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/17/2021
1419 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/2021/07/20210718-DJI_0090.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=17991200adminadmin2021-07-18 11:24:462021-07-18 11:44:08Amazon Expands the Concrete Jungle
Commissioners Vote Tuesday on Contract for Woodridge Village Detention Pond Excavation
Tuesday, 7.20.21, Harris County Commissioners will vote on a contract with Sprint Sand & Clay for excavation of a Woodridge Village detention basin. Item #21-3394 on the agenda is only for $1000, but it gives the contractor the right to enter the site and begin removing up to 500,000 cubic yards of dirt (at no cost to HCFCD) which it can then sell.
Backup provided to commissioners states that “This benefits the District because excavation and removal is always the highest cost of any stormwater detention basin that is constructed.”
Details of Proposed Contract
Here is the full text of the proposed agreement. Highlights include:
The contract outline contains the map above but does not specify the exact size, depth or location of the proposed work within the outlined area – just that it will occur in Montgomery County. Engineers will supply additional details at a later date.
Making up for the 60% Solution
Assuming commissioners approve this, it is good news for the people who live who live in Elm Grove and North Kingwood Forest – indeed, for everyone who lives along Taylor Gully. The detention ponds installed by Perry Homes before they sold the land to Harris County were based on old rainfall statistics and will only hold about 60% of a new 100-year rain defined in Atlas-14.
Sprint Sand and Clay is a regular contractor for HCFCD. Currently, the company is excavating the massive Cutten Detention Basin near 290, Beltway 8 and Cutten Road.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/20/21
1421 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Triple PG Mines Ever Closer to HVL Pipelines
A flyover of the Triple PG mine in Porter revealed that the operator started mining right next to five pipelines carrying highly-volatile liquids (HVL). Previously, Triple PG mined next to a Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline. Headward erosion subsequently exposed the pipeline during Hurricane Harvey and Tropical Storm Imelda. Another storm could do to the HVL pipelines what those did to Kinder Morgan’s.
Now, the Triple PG mine is mining next to the five pipelines carrying highly volatile liquids. They include pipelines operated by Plains, Enterprise and Mustang.
Railroad Commission Map Shows Location of Pipelines
Note Caney Creek meandering to the right of the mine in the satellite image above. When the creek came out of its banks during Harvey and Imelda, it eroded that huge gash you see between the pipelines.
Recent Photo Shows Proximity of Mining to Pipelines
As you can see in the photo below, Triple PG is now mining that same area. It is excavating sand less than a tree’s width from the HVL pipelines. In the next big flood, that will make them susceptible to the same kind of erosion that exposed the natural gas pipeline in the last floods.
Similar Problems Further Up the Pipeline at Another Mine Show Danger
Further up this same pipeline corridor toward Conroe, here’s what happened at the LMI River Bend mine.
If a similar disaster happened at the Triple PG mine and the pipelines ruptured, there would be little to keep the liquids in them from contaminating Lake Houston, the source of drinking water for 2 million people.
The Triple PG mine has a long history of questionable environmental practices. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has repeatedly cited the company for illegal discharges of industrial waste water. In 2019, the TCEQ referred the case to the Texas Attorney General for prosecution.
AG Lawsuit Stuck in Slow-Motion COVID Mode
Not much has happened in the lawsuit since then. Shortly after the AG filed the lawsuit, the Guniganti family, which owns the mine, tried to play a shell game with ownership, causing the AG to file an amended petition. Then the Gunigantis hired a new operator which also has a dubious history of compliance with the environmental regulations. The operator is Sumaiah Kurre, of Texas Frac Sand Materials Inc. at 1367 Woodcrest Drive, Houston, TX 77018.
The Texas Secretary of State lists Kurre’s name 47 times in the Texas SOS-Direct database. His name is associated with sixteen different entities in multiple capacities. Many of the entities have lost their right to do business in Texas.
Craig Pritzlaff, TCEQ’s director of Compliance and Enforcement, says the COVID crisis delayed an already complicated case, but neither the Commission, nor the AG have abandoned it. In fact, he said, the TCEQ flew over the mine today. Hopefully, a judge will hear the case soon. This case dramatizes the need for the legislature to adopt best practices for sand mining that provide better protection to the public.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/19/2021
1420 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 669 since Imelda
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.
Amazon Expands the Concrete Jungle
Amazon is building a new transportation center on the east side of I-69 just south of the Grand Parkway. Two months ago, this site was little more than dirt. Now, there’s a building with a roof, parking lots and detention ponds. I took all the pictures below on Sunday, 7/17/21.
Amazon’s Prime Location
Amazon’s location will position the company to take advantage of growth made possible by the extension of the Grand Parkway east of I-69. A logistical bonus: the site lies less than 10 miles from Bush Intercontinental Airport.
The giant box-like structure looks like a concrete monolith from the freeway. It has all the charm of the cardboard boxes that will flow through here in a few months. But the relentless pursuit of cost-cutting makes Amazon popular, not architectural charm and uniqueness.
Community Impact says Amazon will bring about 300 full-time jobs to the Porter area, starting at $15 per hour. Amazon will open three more similar facilities in the Houston area this year.
Environment – a Fragile Package
Amazon’s relentless expansion mirrors the growth of the Houston metropolitan area itself. As a concrete jungle replaces the natural jungle, we must all remain vigilant to ensure detention ponds retain runoff in heavy rains and that wetlands are preserved. Too often, the push to pave over every square inch of property increases downstream flooding.
Development is inevitable. But flooding is not if the development is done responsibly.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/17/2021
1419 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.