Fort Worth Leaders Mount Opposition To New Concrete Batch Plant, Demand Time For More Public Input

A proposed concrete batch plant in Fort Worth has caught the attention of city officials who claim the facility could threaten nearby residents' quality of life.

TOR Texas has already received preliminary approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a plant that could operate 24 hours a day in an area near homes and a future school, according to Fort Worth Report.

But upon receiving a letter of opposition from Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and Council Member Alan Blaylock, the TCEQ has agreed to extend the public comment period for 30 days beyond Feb. 3 and hold a community meeting before any additional steps are taken.

“While we fully recognize the benefits of supporting businesses that want to operate in our city, the proposed location of this facility will negatively impact the surrounding environment and diminish the quality of life of residents in proximity to the proposed facility,” Parker and Blaylock wrote. 

The site, located at the intersection of Old Denton Road and Highway 170, is zoned industrial but is located near single-family homes and apartments. A Northwest ISD high school is planned across the street.

If approved, the plant would be permitted to operate up to 24 hours a day and produce less than 100 cubic yards of concrete per hour, according to Fort Worth Report. Tim Sansone, a managing partner at TOR Texas, said the facility’s output will be much lower and will provide small amounts of concrete for things like sidewalks and landscaping.

But the impact on air quality is a key concern, Blaylock and Parker’s letter says.

“Their permit is scoped like they’re going to build a freeway,” Blaylock told Fort Worth Report. 

This isn’t the first time Fort Worth leaders have spoken out against polluting industries. In December, Parker was among several elected officials to oppose BAP Kennor’s proposed landfill near Lake Worth. Communities across the Metroplex are raising the alarm over industrial facilities encroaching on residential areas, citing health and safety risks that tend to disproportionately affect low-income communities of color. 

West Dallas residents have for years worked to shut down the GAF shingle plant on Singleton Boulevard. Earlier this month, neighborhood advocate Janie Cisneros said in a lawsuit that the city of Dallas is thwarting her attempt to file for amortization, which, if approved, would initiate the immediate removal of the more than 80-year-old factory.

The Southern Dallas city of Joppa is surrounded on three sides by industrial development. The link between particulate matter and the health of area residents is well documented, and neighborhood advocates have responded by calling for the swift removal of heavy industry. Those efforts have been effective in driving out at least one polluter.

Residents of Echo Heights, a majority Black and Latino neighborhood in southeast Fort Worth, have urged city officials to temporarily pause all new industrial development, citing an uptick in illnesses, inexplicable miscarriages and other negative health outcomes. 

Following the community meeting, TCEQ staff will respond to all comments submitted during the outreach period and send the application to the executive director. Those living within 440 yards of the proposed plant can file for a contested case hearing, according to Fort Worth Report.

A date for the meeting hasn't been set.