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Farm Bureau says Trans-Texas Corridor I-69 fails to meet environmental standards
The Bandera County Courier ^ | December 31, 2008 | Contributed

Posted on 01/03/2009 7:42:53 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Bandera local farmers and rancher charge that the I-69 Trans-Texas Corridor Tier One Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has failed to meet important environmental standards.

Barbara Mazurek, Bandera County Farm Bureau President says that these failures are indicative of the problems that exist with the entire Tran-Texas Corridor (TTC).

“Because these environmental standards have not been met, the Texas Department of Transportation should seriously consider alternatives to its current model,” Mazurek said.

According to Mazurek, there are three main reasons that the DEIS is flawed.

• It limits its analysis to alternatives that fit the TTC “vision” of a multimodal transportations corridor, despite the lack of traffic data that suggest a need for such a corridor, and that none of the Congressional enactments make any such suggestion for I-69.

• The DEIS makes no attempt to analyze the potential environmental impacts that an I-69 multimodal corridor as compared to simply upgrading existing rights of way.

• The DEIS has also largely ignored the potential impacts to natural resources, including agricultural land, from the construction of a new I-69 corridor.

“We encourage all of our members to let the Texas Department of Transportation know how they feel about this, especially since it has the potential to so negatively impact our industry,” Mazurek said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: alf; alternatives; barbaramazurek; chapter391; deis; ectsrpc; epa; farmers; fredgrant; hankgilbert; i69; i69ttc; ih69; infrastructure; interstate69; lufkin; maesmith; opposition; ranchers; stewardsoftherange; texas; tierone; transportation; transtexascorridor; ttc; ttc35; ttc69; turf; tx; txdot; workshop
Stopping TTC begins with Lufkin workshop

Contributed

“Stop the Trans-Texas Corridor” has become the new battle cry of Texans in the path of the mega-highway set to transect the Lone Star State.

American Land Foundation, Stewards of the Range and TURF will hold a workshop to discuss that topic from 9 am until 3 pm, Monday, March 17, at the Lufkin Pitser Garrison Civic Center in Lufkin.

Thousands of Texas citizens have voiced their opposition to the TTC-69 in public meetings held by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

However, no one is convinced they are being heard or that they can keep the massive superhighway from being constructed.

However, four cities and school districts have discovered a way to force TXDOT to “coordinate” with them on the TTC-35 and it’s apparently working.

“Utilizing Chapter 391 of the Texas Local Government Code, four rural towns in Bell County formed the Eastern Central Texas Sub-Regional Planning Commission (ECTSRPC), forcing TxDOT to come to them,”? stated Fred Grant, attorney and president of Stewards of the Range. Grant has been assisting the four cities and school districts for the past six months.

Since forming last August, the ECTSRPC has held two coordination meetings with TxDOT and one with Region 6 of the Environmental Protection Agency, engaging in over 10 hours of open, in-depth discussions about local concerns.

“We discuss our bus routes, re-routing water lines, the disruption of our emergency services and the taking of 3,500 acres of prime farmland away from our local economy,” said ECTSRPC President Mae Smith, who also serves as mayor of Holland. “Before we formed our commission, we couldn’t get five minutes with anyone at TXDOT. Now, they’re working with us because they’re required to under Chapter 391.”

Along with the team that devised the strategy, several members of the commission will attend the workshop to answer questions.

“If we can get commissions established up and down the I-69 Corridor, we have a real shot at stopping this monster,” noted Hank Gilbert, director of TURF.

Gilbert is slated to speak at the workshop.

The workshop has been designed for city councilmen, county commissioners and other governmental officials, such as members of school and water districts and personnel with emergency services, as well as for citizens who want to be involved in stopping the TTC from destroying local communities and land.

Pre-registration is $20, but the workshop will cost $30 on the day of the event. A workbook and barbeque lunch will be provided.

To register for the workshop, call the American Land Foundation at 800-452-6389, go online at www.Stewards.us, or fax information to 512-365-7931.

1 posted on 01/03/2009 7:42:54 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: 1066AD; 185JHP; Abcdefg; Adrastus; af_vet_rr; Alamo-Girl; antivenom; AprilfromTexas; B4Ranch; ...

Trans-Texas Corridor PING!


2 posted on 01/03/2009 7:43:37 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (This election gave the drunks the keys to the liquor cabinet!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Sometimes our enemies are our friends.


3 posted on 01/03/2009 7:48:11 PM PST by buccaneer81 (Bob Taft has soiled the family name for the next century.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

bttt


4 posted on 01/03/2009 7:48:44 PM PST by Guenevere
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

BTTT


5 posted on 01/04/2009 3:00:51 AM PST by E.G.C. (Click on a freeper's screename and then "In Forum" to read his/her posts)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Even liberals sometimes despise what other liberals are doing...now you got the environmental crowd after the Liberal Free Trader Globalist NAFTA Superhighway...


6 posted on 01/04/2009 3:42:36 AM PST by UCFRoadWarrior (Always question the patriotism of any Globalist)
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To: UCFRoadWarrior; buccaneer81; All

Some of these groups are merely useful idiots.

This isn’t necessarily about the environment, (although it should be) it’s about property rights and freedom.


7 posted on 01/04/2009 6:42:03 AM PST by wolfcreek (I see miles and miles of Texas....let's keep it that way.)
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To: wolfcreek; UCFRoadWarrior
"it's about property rights and freedom"

Hardy har har!

Its about David and Barbara Mazurek's wool and mohair subsidies.

8 posted on 01/04/2009 7:32:37 AM PST by Ben Ficklin
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To: Ben Ficklin
So are you about capitalism or not?

Don't David and Barbara ( and all the others affected by this boondoggle) have the right to their business and livelihoods?

BTW: Haven't heard from you in a while.

Happy New Year!

9 posted on 01/04/2009 7:44:33 AM PST by wolfcreek (I see miles and miles of Texas....let's keep it that way.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

I’m still scratching my head and wondering why Bandera Ranchers and Farmers would take a stand on this issue. I-69 comes nopwhere near Bandera Co.


10 posted on 01/04/2009 11:33:04 AM PST by Sarajevo (You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me.)
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To: Ben Ficklin
Its about David and Barbara Mazurek's wool and mohair subsidies.

It's about property rights.

11 posted on 01/04/2009 11:34:14 AM PST by Sarajevo (You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me.)
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