PA Prospect Corp. withdraws request to build waste facility in San Augustine County

SAN AUGUSTINE, Texas (KTRE) - After years of opposition, a company that constructs oil and gas waste disposal sites withdrew its application to build a waste dump site 8.7 miles north of Lake Sam Rayburn.

“There was no way that the toxic waste was not going to be flowing into the lake,” Elizabeth Mathews said.

Mathews is a member of Friends of Lake Sam Rayburn. She said the group has been fighting for more than a year to have PA Prospect Corporation withdraw its application. Mathews said she was overjoyed when news broke that the company did so on March 25.

“The only glitch is that they could reapply. And of course, we hope that that doesn’t happen. Senator Robert Nicholas, who represents this area, was able to get some legislation passed that would make it more difficult for them to get this application approved. Because they have to consider multiple day rain events, and that was not the case with their last application,” Mathews said.

Mathews said the administrative judge and the technical advisor listened to testimonies and recommended railroad commissioners deny PA Prospect Corporation’s permit.

“They knew it was going to get denied because once the Railroad Commission staff makes a recommendation, it is very difficult for commissioners to go against that recommendation,” Mathews said.

Mathews said the company withdrew their application before commissioners made a decision.

“I felt so sorry for the landowners that surrounded this area. It was just going to ruin their land value and many of them, that land had been in their families for generations, all the way back to the Spanish land grants and so now they’ll be spared,” Mathews said.

Ann Bridges said the property that PA Prospect would like to put the surface waste facility on is 38 feet from her property. She said she is grateful the company withdrew.

“I don’t know what their thought is, you know, PA Prospect. But when they requested that their application be dismissed, they did that without prejudice. So that left the door open that they can come back and file again. So that makes us nervous,” Bridges said.