Open Letter to Ellis County Commissioners and Judge

Please review my letter below with hard facts of misinformation, obvious air and water pollution above safe levels, TCEQ violations, and continued lack of safety measures.

After reviewing my letter, please tell me why you are not doing more to hold Magnablend accountable for the accident, why the Commissioners' Court approved removing the deed restriction that would have prevented Magnablend (requiring a TCEQ permit) from operating on the SSC property, and why you are not publicly opposing Magnablend's attempt at building on the SSC property?

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Legal filings have begun

Ellis County Concerned Citizens has released the following information and has requested its distribution, therefore Ellis County Right to Know is making it available to our readers.

On behalf of Ellis County Concerned Citizens, who are working hard for all residents opposed to Magnablend's relocation to the SSC property, we have pulled the Public Document of the Petition our Attorney has filed. It is attached.

Our wonderful neighbor, Carl, has put his name on this. Just know that because it affects him, it affects all of us. This is step one. We do not have any meetings set for our group yet. We need to let this play out before we know what our step two will be then we will meet and discuss.

We need everyone's continued support as well as financial assistance. Please take any financial support over to our attorney's office, Rodney Ramsey, 201 E. Main, Suite 201, Waxahachie, Texas 75165  (972-935-9111).

They will put all funds in an IOLTA / Trust Account and keep all accounting for our cause. Both our attorneys, Rodney and Brent, are working very hard for our cause. Also, continue to voice your opposition to all the contact numbers that have been sent in emails and that we have been providing. We need to keep up the pressure.

We also have a number of different channels we are confirming for support and contacts for help. Thank you to everyone! By staying together and not getting divided, we can be the most effective.

Click here to read the court filing documents.

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Magnablend proceeding with plans; Community bands together

Despite public outcry from concerned citizens and residents who reside near the proposed location of the new Magnablend facility on FM 1446 and Hoyt Road, Magnablend is continuing with their plans to purchase the old Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) property and build their new hazardous chemical plant.

As reported by WFAA on January 18, 2012 and confirmed with Ellis County Commissioner Bill Dodson, Magnablend withdrew their request to increase the weight limits on Arrowhead Road. WFAA reported that Magnablend will now pay for permits through the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) that will allow them to drive their overweight trucks carrying hazardous chemicals on any county road.

Magnablend CEO Scott Pendery said that he wants to work with residents and ease their concerns, but everything he is doing appears to have been in an attempt to shove this past residents without their knowledge. Current SSC property owner, Collider Data Center LLC, requested the county commissioners ease a deed restriction that prevented businesses that require a permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) from operating on the property.

The Ellis County Commissioners' Court voted unanimously on December 12, 2011 to remove and replace this deed restriction. The agenda item describing this topic was vague, therefore preventing residents from being aware of the impending plans.

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Magnablend will get what it wants

This article is reprinted with permission from the Ennis Daily News. (Phil Banker, Magnablend will get what it wants, January 13, 2012).

Phil Banker / Ennis Daily News
January 13, 2012

It's refreshing to see so many people at Commissioners Court meetings, as was the case on Monday. Not like it'll do any good, though.

The place was packed as residents near the SSC begged the court to not allow Magnablend their requested increase of the weight limit on Arrowhead Road. Some hollered, some cried and everyone acted with a sense of urgency.

Too bad it's all for naught.

Let's be clear about this, folks: Magnablend is going to get what it wants. It's going to drive its trucks down Arrowhead Road, it will build its plant at the Superconducting Super Collider property, and nearby residents will either adjust or leave. It's all over but the crying. We only have ourselves to blame.

If there's anything I've learned after paying attention to Texas politics during my life, it's that business owners are treated nigh unto gods in this state. Our elected officials emphasize policies that make Texas "pro-business," while leaving people and the environment choking in the toxic dust. It doesn't matter if it poisons our air, taints our water or gives us cancer; if it drums up profit, it's untouchable in Texas.

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Ellis RTK view on Magnablend SSC expansion

As media pressure gains momentum and public comments with opinions from opponents and supporters increases, misinformation and a loss of focus is likely to increase as well in regard to Magnablend's planned expansion to the old Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) property on FM 1446 in Waxahachie.

There have been accusations from Magnablend supporters that claim opponents are against Magnablend, want to run Magnablend out of Ellis County, want the business to close down, and do not care about Magnablend employees. There have also been accusations from opponents of the plan calling County Commissioners corrupt and claiming a cover-up of the true effects of the October 3, 2011 fire and easing of deed restrictions on the SSC property. Although some opponents have made these claims, this is not the view or opinion of the majority of opponents we have spoken with nor does it represent the majority of public comments we have witnessed.

Because of the allegations on both sides of the issue, Ellis RTK feels that it is necessary to clarify our position and our opinions. We do not represent or speak for the 'Ellis County Concerned Citizens' group, but we fully support them in their effort to oppose Magnablend's invasion into an agricultural area with an expansion to the SSC property.

We support Magnablend's attempts to expand in Ellis County in an area zoned for industrial use and we agree that Magnablend had a 32 year history of being a good neighbor until recently. The company provides jobs, tax revenue, and has done good things for the community.

However, we do not support Magnablend's plans to relocate in an agricultural area or in an area that is not specifically zoned for industrial use. The risks are too high. We also do not support any expansion effort until Magnablend has fulfilled its obligation to clean up the environmental disaster at the old Central Facility location. We believe that Magnablend should focus its resources on remediating the property, put an end to the ongoing effects the contaminated property still has on neighboring residents, and wait for lessons learned from investigations that are still in process.

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