Landfill West Of Shadow Creek Ranch

[Maria]

Well, Pelican Shores is on the far west side, in the Fort Bend County part of SCR. I see why the odor is so strong for you.

Yes, . I don't know what to do to change the situation I get into. I feel helpless.

[sevfiv]

Here is another thread discussing the issue of the landfill, smells, etc.:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...=10738&st=0

seems that some feel some of the smell might be more chemical plant-related (which isn't any better)

[Timnwendy]

Yes, . I don't know what to do to change the situation I get into. I feel helpless.

Well, it might help to join a group who is fighting the expansion of that landfill. The group is called CABRLE and you can go here to join there Yahoo Group .

[njvisitor]

I smell this odor even in our mall (very east) on the other side of 288 across from Shadow Creek Ranch. Even in the Mall the odor could be very-very strong. The mall is 2-3 miles east from us.

Perhaps you were smelling something else. Store garbage bins often produce strong smells in their immediate area.

It's highly unlikely that the odor would be present at such a great distance from the source, across a bustling highway, in such a large concentration.

But you may be right. Either Pearland Township or the SCR HOA ought to invest in accurately measuring the odor, so it can be properly addressed.

[bstritt]

I live on the far east side of SCR, just east of Kirby, and in the two years I have lived here I have never smelled even the faintest hint of the landfill. I have spent some time riding my bike around SCR, as well as some time at the pool on the west side with the water park, and even then I didn't smell anything. Might have just been the particular days that I was over that way...

[bsienk]

Here's another data point: We live in Creekside Meadow, which is west of Kingsley just across from the Laura Ingalls Wilder School. We've never smelled any landfill odors here.

What I have smelled occasionally is a sewage odor, which for me (coming originally from another part of Texas) seems endemic to most of the swampy Houston area. If it doesn't rain, storm sewers don't clear out thoroughly and the flood-control channel (aka Creekside Meadow's "creek") gets just a little stagnant. That's great for the waterfowl, and I don't really mind. At least we don't have the open ditches in front of the house like I've seen in many Inner Loop neighborhoods!

[brerrabbit]

Remember this ____ happens! I live in east Pearland at Dixie Farm Road and 518. Our neighborhood (Oakbrook) one of the first built on Dixie Farm Road about 16 years ago. As a result we had a sewer pumpimg station in our neighborhood. Since the further expansion of the area the City of Pearland built a massive lift station right next to the Chevron at the corner of Dixie Farm and 518 and removed the one from our neighborhood. On any given day depending on the direction of the wind you get that sewer smell at Wal Mart, Home Depot, Jack in the Box, or at the Chevron. It's a fact of life that when hundreds of houses are built in an area sewer lines are connected and it has to go somewhere. The presence of a smell does not mean the area is unlivable it just means life goes on.

Any of the smells mentioned in earlier posts could just be randomly generated by a heavy morning or evening load.

[clearman]

I've lived on the east side of SCR, right off of Kirby, for 3 years. I take my dogs on walks around SCR all the time. I've never smelled anything Sewery or Chemically enough to notice, comment on, or remember.

[rem78]

I live in Regents Glen just off of Kingsley (across the street from Laura Ingalls Elem. School) and very rairly notice a smell. If I do, it's usually first thing in the morning and it's gone within a couple of hours. I've also biked and run across a lot of SCR and haven't really noticed any major odor problems. Sometimes I get an strange smell off the lakes, but it may just be standing water.

Any time you smell a garbage odor complain with the TCEQ

http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/compliance/complaints/index.html

call us toll-free at 1-888-777-3186, or

e-mail us at cmplaint@tceq.state.tx.us

All letters I have rcvd in regards to this issue have made it clear to complain to the TCEQ so they can have a clear account of the actual problems. Not sure how effective it will be, but it is a start.

[Chamo]

3 years in SCR with Zero smell issues. I'm close to 518 just west of Kirby (Heron Bay). Of course I understand there are people more sensitive to smell than others.

[SCR]

3 years in SCR with Zero smell issues. I'm close to 518 just west of Kirby (Heron Bay). Of course I understand there are people more sensitive to smell than others.

I've lived in Silver Leaf Glen subdivision in SCR (west of Kingsley) for almost 2 years and I have not smelled anything odd.

[Timnwendy]

There have been some recent developments about the litigation revolving around this landfill expansion, which you can read about here.

My layman's opinion: Blue Ridge is making noise about wanting to talk to the other parties opposing their expansion of the landfill, to see if they can reach some kind of accomodation, but it's really just a smoke screen tactic.

[Timnwendy]

It looks like at least one SCR resident is complaining to the Pearland City Council about the landfill. Read this article for the details.

The quote from Mr. Scrutchin is interesting. The article implied he is a salesperson for new homes in Eden Cove, but it wasn't totally clear.

[brain]

It looks like at least one SCR resident is complaining to the Pearland City Council about the landfill. Read this article for the details.

The quote from Mr. Scrutchin is interesting. The article implied he is a salesperson for new homes in Eden Cove, but it wasn't totally clear.

Eden cove is perry homes and the sales person said

Cliff Scrutchin, salesperson in the Eden Cove subdivision which he said is closest to the landfill, said he could count on one hand the number of times an odor was bothersome within the last year.

[scrres]

It looks like at least one SCR resident is complaining to the Pearland City Council about the landfill. Read this article for the details.

The quote from Mr. Scrutchin is interesting. The article implied he is a salesperson for new homes in Eden Cove, but it wasn't totally clear.

I think its not just Shadow Creek Residents that are going to be affected, it can affect other near by communties southern trails, silver lake/creek etc. One night around 11pm I could smell it near HEB and Walmart also.

[Timnwendy]

I think its not just Shadow Creek Residents that are going to be affected, it can affect other near by communties southern trails, silver lake/creek etc. One night around 11pm I could smell it near HEB and Walmart also.

Let's not forget the upcoming Waterlight District (located between 288 and Kirby). With all the $$$ the developers are/will be pumping into that project, you'd think they would lend their voice (and funding) to CABRLE and others who oppose the landfill, because that location could be affected also. Who would want to take an expensive boat ride if the air on the river smelled like a sewer?

[Timnwendy]

Looks like the smell from this landfill is generating negative publicity again. Read this recent article about it.

Here's the article too, for when that link dies:

Landfill Odor causing a Stink

by NATALIE TORENTINOS

Like passing dark clouds, incomparable and scary odors have traveled through Jamie Lee

[20thStDad]

The site has been in operation since 1993.

Same argument as the homeless in Midtown...it was already there, so what's the big surprise? Were people hoping that the wind would never blow a certain direction and maybe the landfill would just go away?

[Timnwendy]

Same argument as the homeless in Midtown...it was already there, so what's the big surprise? Were people hoping that the wind would never blow a certain direction and maybe the landfill would just go away?

I'm guessing they didn't even know it was there prior to buying.

Since April, I've lived approx 2 miles east of the landfill. I have never smelled anything.

It's hard to know how close is too close, but from talking with people who live in various parts of SCR I've decided that Kingsley Drive is a fairly accurate smell boundary. I tell people who are looking for houses in SCR to beware of choosing a site west of Kingsley. The further east, the better.

[scrres]

I'm guessing they didn't even know it was there prior to buying.

Since April, I've lived approx 2 miles east of the landfill. I have never smelled anything.

It's hard to know how close is too close, but from talking with people who live in various parts of SCR I've decided that Kingsley Drive is a fairly accurate smell boundary. I tell people who are looking for houses in SCR to beware of choosing a site west of Kingsley. The further east, the better.

I have friends who live east, near Halfmoon Bay Dr (0.7 miles east of Kingsley Drive, opposite to Southern Trails Drive) who could smell this many times. The smell will not be thru out the day. Most of times I noticed was during the night after 11pm and before 8 am.

[BWSchultz]

I have friends who live east, near Halfmoon Bay Dr (0.7 miles east of Kingsley Drive, opposite to Southern Trails Drive) who could smell this many times. The smell will not be thru out the day. Most of times I noticed was during the night after 11pm and before 8 am.

That is correct. It's mostly late at night and early in the morning. I live about 0.5 miles west of Kingsley and I could smell it 4 times in the last two weeks. Prior to that I hadn't noticed it for a couple of months.

I did not know about it before I bought my house three years ago. Did I not do enough due diligence? Probably not. But I still love my house and big backyard. And it's not like I'm going to live in SCR forever. I just don't want to take a loss which is what most people are doing right now selling homes in SCR. I know a few people who took 20k-50k losses just to get away from the landfill. That's not cool with me. I'm too young to take that kind of damage. But I do think home prices will stabilize in the next 2-3 years out there with better infrastructure and entertainment.

[Timnwendy]

I have friends who live east, near Halfmoon Bay Dr (0.7 miles east of Kingsley Drive, opposite to Southern Trails Drive) who could smell this many times. The smell will not be thru out the day. Most of times I noticed was during the night after 11pm and before 8 am.

I'm sure the odor does drift further east sometimes. I live east of Southern Trails Drive, very close to Half Moon Bay. Even though I'm a little further south, I know someday I will probably get a whiff of it.

What kind of irks me is that the developers at this vaunted Waterlight District haven't gotten more involved in fighting the expansion. I wonder if they are just oblivious to it. They might have a rude awakening if their high-end restaurants and fancy canal begin to reek a few times each month.

At times it isn't hard for me to project this whole scenario playing out as a repeat of the Brio dump site/Southbend subdivision debacle in Friendswood in the late 80s. Time will tell.

[BryanS]

Based on the satellite link in post #2 in this thread... and the discussion here on how you can smell it... I would say the value of those homes, near the landfill, is headed one direction: straight down. Regardless of the proposed expansion, the damage has been done. Every post to this thread and the value of those homes probably drops another $2000.

170 feet into the air is not that high. It's only half a football field, roughly. It's not like it would be a mile high or anything. The trash has to go somewhere, it doesn't just disappear into thin air.

[bsienk]

A front page story in the Chronicle today is about gas from an Allied landfill in NE Houston being captured and used to power a brewery:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...iz/5915602.html

I wonder if/when this would be implemented at the landfill here, and if it would mitigate some of the odor concerns?

Having said that, I live west of Kingsley close to the Wilder Elementary School, and I almost never smell the landfill. I do oppose the height expansion, but that's a separate issue for me.

[njvisitor]

City Council had a special meeting this evening. One of the agenda items was:

SECTION 551.071 - CONSULTATION WITH CITY ATTORNEY

[rem78]

Anyone have any updates on this? I know there was a meeting in the Quail Valley subdv last week, but I've been out of town and missed it.

[Timnwendy]

I haven't heard anything new since the news article about the testimony given at the Pearland City Council meeting. I'm a member of the CABRLE Yahoo group, but it is dead quiet...and has been for months.

I suspect there is probably quite a bit of discussion going on, but only among a select group.

[clearman]

I live on the far East side of SCR and I'm pretty sure I smelled the landfill a couple times this week. In the morning and evening. Very chemically smell.

[matchison]

I live on the far East side of SCR and I'm pretty sure I smelled the landfill a couple times this week. In the morning and evening. Very chemically smell.

There is also a chemical Plant nearby on 521. Axel Nobel, http://www.surface.akzonobel.com/, is a small chemical plant that produces surfacants. Some of these chemicals can be pretty dangerous, AND smelly. I have personally taken a tour of that plant. This is probably where you are getting the chemical smell.

Akzo Nobel Surfactants

Surfactants America, Houston Site

15200 Almeda Road

Houston, TX 77053

[Timnwendy]

I found this Inside Fort Bend blog entry that gives an update on the expansion, as of Feb. 2009. To me, it still seems like things are going bad for the opponents of the expansion.