Texas Billionaire Nears Radioactive Waste Dump Victory
Prolific Republican donor and Dallas businessman Harold Simmons, No. 56 on the Forbes list of the richest Americans, could get a little richer if state lawmakers hand him what he wants today: a bill expanding the right of his company to accept low-level radioactive waste from a number of states — and the power to set the rates it charges them.
It’s still too early to say what the final legislation will do, but the proposal is headed for debate on the floor of the Texas House today. It has already passed the Senate.
Critics say the bill gives too ...
Comments (11)
btxusa
I still think that all proceeds from radioactive waste should go into a permanent escrow fund tor taking care of hazardous wastes in the future or when human error or natural disaster causes contamination of state air and soil. That hazardous waste site will revert to the care and upkeep paid for by TAX PAYERS once it is full.
Midland recently had a townhall meeting about an endangered lizard. I understand the attendees (400?) were assured that no more radioactive wastes would be stored there beyond the already contracted Vermont wastes. I believe the story was in the Midland paper after their meeting.
Dale Curry
Well those Perry contributions was money well spent now.
annie03
With Texas's pro-business and anti-human regulatory climate, I fear for the well being of Texans and the environmental integrity in our state.
Dale Curry
It should be clear by this very article, the well being and environmental integrity of our state has been sold for a few dollars to the Perry campaign of lies and corruption!
Louis Ivan Molnár via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thank you for this....
www.facebook.com/electlouis
www.electlouismolnar.com
c jon
I hate it when the laws are set up just to make the billionaires richer. Then those billionaires spend millions so they do not have to follow laws keeping the rest of us safe. I do not believe that a business like this should be in the hands of a partisan republican.
Tim McClure via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Amen! Sic 'em, Bobby!
jpt51
What more evidence is needed to limit the influence big money has in Texas politics. We need campaign limits if not public financing! Gov. Perry has proved the need for term limits, at least for the top elected state position.
Julia W.
To set the record straight.... it is NOT a dump. It is a state-of-the-art waste facility that is HIGHLY regulated and has been EXTENSIVELY studied and researched for almost 20 years. Referring to the site as a dump is akin to calling an F-22 Raptor a puddle jumper. It is a shame that so many people chose to garner all of their information on the site from biased reporting. This is not about billionaires and political backroom deals - it is about a county that has invested countless time, energy and money in diversifying its economy and has had to fight environmentalists, anti-nukes, the media and the misinformed - every step of the way.
BTW, btxusa, I was at that meeting in Midland regarding the lizard, and radioactive waste was never mentioned - fortunately for Andrews County, the support for WCS is regional.
btxusa
Julia W., I realize that WCS can afford paid PR people. I was not at the Midland meeting, but if you were, perhaps you have "connections"? Most of the comments I've read have been opposed to the dump. Yes, it may be "state of the art" but it's still a hazardous waste dump and it still will revert to the tax payers' responsibility when it's full. I've read the reports from the EPA -- TEXAS will have the "privilege" of overseeing that dump FOREVER once it is "full" and "owners" have gleaned their profits. Those proceeds should go to the tax payers -- not to individuals.
Dale Curry
@ Julia -If you expect anyone on this site to believe you when you claim this site is NOT a folly of Perry's back room deals, then your SADLY mistaken. The fact remains that Simmons has POURED money into Perry and related campaign chests. This entire situation SMELLS! For too long this governor has been ALL TOO QUICK to sell out to special interests. After 15 years of this BS, I for one have had enough!